The first vessel carrying grain has left the Black Sea port of Odesa for the first time under the landmark deal signed by Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey and overseen by the United Nations since Russia’s invasion in February.
On Monday, a much-anticipated development raised hopes of easing the rising food crisis and food insecurity and lowering the price of grain around the globe.
The Razoni, the Sierra Leone-flagged ship, carrying a cargo of 26,527 tonnes of corn, would dock at the Mediterranean port of Tripoli, in Lebanon.
Furthermore, the ship is expected to reach Istanbul on Tuesday, where it will be inspected by the Joint Co-ordination Centre, comprising representatives from the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey.
Guterres appreciated Turkey’s role in the implementation of the deal between Russia and Ukraine after the invasion and welcomed the departure of the first ship from the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Monday.
‘Beacon of Hope’
While addressing the correspondents at UN Headquarters, Antonio Guterres said that the vessel is loaded with two commodities: “corn and hope.”
“People on the verge of famine need these agreements to work, in order to survive. Countries on the verge of bankruptcy need these agreements to work, in order to keep their economies alive.” (UN News)
The first commercial ship leaving the port of Odesa since February has sailed for Lebanon, carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn.
This is an achievement of the Joint Coordination Centre under @UN auspices, comprised of representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation & Türkiye. pic.twitter.com/zQmR0lKmHK
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 1, 2022
In the wake of the war, the UN’s World Food Program estimates that 47 million people are on the verge of “acute hunger.”
As per the data of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Russia and Ukraine supply around 45 million tonnes of wheat annually.
In a statement, JCC mentions that “the Secretary-General hopes that this will be the first of many commercial ships moving in accordance with the initiative signed, and that this will bring much-needed stability and relief to global food security, especially in the most fragile humanitarian contexts.”
Furthermore, the Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov, elaborated that the shipments would provide around $1 billion in foreign exchange to the economy.Oleksandr