The first grain ship chartered by the United Nations has arrived in Africa from Ukraine. The approximately 23,000 tons of wheat on the “Brave Commander” are destined for people in Ethiopia. So far, more than 60 ships have left Ukrainian ports.
About six weeks after an agreement with Russia to resume grain exports, 61 freighters with 1.5 million tons of agricultural goods on board have left Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, six ships with a load of 183,000 tons left the port on Tuesday.
According to the United Nations, this also includes the “Brave Commander”, which was the first freighter to reach the Horn of Africa after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ship anchored in Djibouti and has urgently needed wheat for Ethiopia on board, according to the information about 23,000 tons.
The delivery is enough to feed 1.5 million people in the East African country for a month, the UN said. 20 million people suffered from hunger there. The blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports by Russian forces had led to food shortages, which increased the risk of starvation for millions of people, especially in poorer countries.
According to the Ukrainian grain traders’ association UGA, exports to date have consisted of 62 percent corn, 17 percent wheat and 6 percent barley. Mediated by the UN and Turkey, Ukraine and Russia agreed in July that ship deliveries from Ukrainian ports can be resumed. The agreement is one of the few diplomatic breakthroughs since the beginning of the war.
