By Katharine Houreld
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa docked on Tuesday, the United Nations said, the first to make that journey since the Russian invasion began six months ago.
The ship – named the Brave Commander – is carrying 23,000 tonnes of grain, and will shortly be followed by another carrying 7,000 tonnes.
The total shipment, which will be unloaded in Djibouti and transported to Ethiopia, is enough to feed 1.5 million people for a month.
That is insignificant compared with the problems in Eastern Africa, where the U.N.’s World Food Programme says extreme weather, surging food prices and conflict mean 82 million people need food aid across nine countries: Burundi, Djiouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
“This shipment, the first of many we hope, will allow WFP to deliver this grain to 1.53 million people in Ethiopia and cover their needs for a month. It’s a start but we must continue to keep the food flowing to save lives across the region,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
Officials hope that the successful voyage will inspire private companies to begin shipping grain from Ukraine to Eastern Africa, where rising global food prices and difficulties raising donor funding have forced the U.N. to cut rations for refugees and displaced people.
While the shipment will help people displaced by conflict, none of it will be sold commercially, meaning it will not lower food prices for ordinary Ethiopians.
Russia and Ukraine usually supply 90% of wheat imported in East Africa.
But Russia sent troops into Ukraine six months ago, in what Moscow said was a “special military operation” to demilitarise its neighbour and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine calls it an imperial-style war of conquest.
The conflict sent fertiliser and food prices soaring as Russia blockaded Ukrainian ports. Energy prices have also surged following Western sanctions on Russia, a major energy exporter.
Last month, the U.N. and Turkey brokered a deal between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock three Black Sea ports, making it possible to send hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Ukrainian grain to buyers.
(Editing by Barbara Lewis)
