UN calls for urgent measures to resolve backlog in Black Sea grain deal
(VOVWORLD) - UN spokesperson for the Black Sea Grain Export Initiative Ismini Palla emphasized on Monday the importance of quickly resolving the backlog of more than 150 cargo ships involved in a deal which allows Ukraine to export grain from ports in the Black Sea.
 The ship M/V Razoni, carrying a cargo of 26,000 tons of grain, left Ukraine's port of Odessa, en route to Tripoli in Lebanon on August 1, 2022. Photo: AFP/VNA |
Currently, ships carrying grains and other foodstuffs to and from Ukrainian ports must be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center at anchorages in Turkey. There are more than 50 vessels waiting in Istanbul for departure and this could lead to a disruption of supply chains and operations, Palla said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has asked the UN for data on the destination and end-consumers of Ukrainian grain shipments. Lavrov said adjustments to the deal to allow shipping activities via the Black Sea depends on that information. Only 5-7% of the grain is reaching the world’s poorest countries, while around 50% of it is being shipped to the European Union, he said.