Black Sea Grain Initiative extension is welcome, ‘breakthrough’ on fertilisers hailed
A “breakthrough” has been made on the distribution of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Russian-made fertiliser blocked in European ports that are vital to avoid a global food insecurity crisis next year, a senior United Nations official said on Friday.
The development accompanied the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been due to expire on Saturday.
“We are really very pleased on the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. “It’s very good news for the world, for the food insecurity crisis that we are going through and this is an important contribution to solve the problem.”
More than 11.1 million tonnes of essential foodstuffs have been shipped as part of the agreement involving Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations, since it was signed on 22 July.
Amid a looming global food insecurity emergency, Ms. Grynspan explained that 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer remain “stranded” in different European ports.
“We know that the crisis of affordability of today will be a crisis of availability tomorrow if we don’t face this challenge,” she added.
A negotiated solution to the “fertiliser crunch” which involves the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been found, which will see a ship loaded with Russian fertiliser departing from the Netherlands for Malawi via Mozambique on 21 November.
“We have a model that is working, (that it) is a humanitarian activity,” Ms. Grynspan explained. “WFP is the one in charge of taking the fertiliser from the ports to the countries that needs the fertiliser. And this is a donation from Uralchem/Uralkali, that is a Russian company.”
She added: “We have all the indications of openness this to happen; so, this is a breakthrough that was able to be brokered by all the actors.”
Responding to questions about the reopening of an ammonia pipeline from Russia to the Black Sea, the UNCTAD Secretary-General said that she was “optimistic that this could happen”, with the agreement of the Ukrainians and Russians.
“Ammonia is included in the Black Sea Grain Initiative - explicitly - and is explicitly included in the Memorandum Of Understanding with Russia, so not necessarily a new agreement has to be signed for the ammonia pipeline being able to start functioning again,” she said.
“The objective is to ease the pain that many developing countries are feeling because of food and fertilisers, energy and financial crisis that we are living right now, that the Secretary-General has called the perfect storm.”
ends
STORY: Black Sea Grain Initiative Latest - UNCTAD
TRT: 3 min 33s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 18 November 2022 CAIRO, EGYPT
SHOTLIST
1
1
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS
United Nations agencies staff demonstrate on Place des Nations in Geneva, to denounce their colleagues killed in Gaza since October 2023
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
The world’s water resources face growing pressure from climate change while emergencies related to the vital resource are increasingly impacting lives and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council during a meeting on the Israeli strike on negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday. “Israel’s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world,” he said.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Gaza: Thirsty and starving, war-battered families face ‘inhumane’ evacuation
As bombs continue to fall on Gaza City as part of the intensifying Israeli military operation, families with starving children are being pushed southwards from one “hellscape” to another, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR
The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu.,
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
A high-level independent rights probe into the Sudan crisis on Tuesday condemned the many grave crimes committed against civilians by all parties to the war, citing disturbing evidence indicating that they had been “deliberately targeted, displaced and starved”.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO
Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.