Russia agrees to extend Ukraine deal for 60 days
On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiralling as they did after Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbour.
The UN and Turkey brokered the deal between the warring countries last July that allows Ukraine – one of the world’s key breadbaskets – to ship food and fertilizer from three of its Black Sea ports. A separate memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and Russia is aimed at overcoming obstacles to Moscow’s shipments of fertilizer to global markets.
Under the initiative, he said, close to 25 million metric tons of foodstuff have been exported since last August, and the UN World Food Program has been able to transport more than half a million metric tons of wheat to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. Griffiths also said it’s vital for the UN-Russia memorandum to be fully implemented.
He also claimed that the Ukraine grain export deal had been transformed from a humanitarian initiative to help developing countries facing escalating food prices to a commercial operation benefiting the world’s four leading Western agro-business corporations. “Otherwise, we fail to understand how the package concept of the secretary-general of the United Nations will work through these simple agreements,” he said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in UkraineRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a UN-backed inquiry released Thursday.
Read more »
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine | CBC NewsRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic and widespread torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a UN-backed inquiry released Thursday.
Read more »
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in UkraineRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine amount to war crimes, according to a report from a U.N.\u002Dbacked inquiry.
Read more »
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in UkraineRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine amount to war crimes, according to a report from a U.N.\u002Dbacked inquiry.
Read more »
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in UkraineRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine amount to war crimes, according to a report from a U.N.\u002Dbacked inquiry.
Read more »
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in UkraineRussian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a U.N.-backed inquiry released Thursday.
Read more »