On Monday, Ukrainian vessel Valsamitis delivered 30 thousand tonnes of wheat as humanitarian aid to Kenya under the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative.
Grain From Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this initiative in November 2022 to combat the global food crisis — particularly in poorer, underdeveloped African and Asian countries — triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since it began, the programme has delivered shipments of “more than 140,000 tonnes of wheat” to African nations suffering from famine.
Ukraine is considered one of the world’s major grain producers. It is a primary supplier of wheat, corn, and barley. The European Commission highlighted Ukraine’s wheat exports as accounting for “10% of the world wheat market.”
Humanitarian Aid to Kenya
Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was accompanied by various dignitaries, including the Ukrainian Ambassador to Kenya Andrii Pravednyk and the ambassadors of donor countries in Mombasa, when receiving the shipment.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) supported the initiative with financial assistance from countries like Norway, Belgium, Italy, the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
The functioning of the initiative is supported by the International Coordination Group for Prevention of Hunger (ICGPH), and Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, an ICGPH member, was also present for the delivery of aid in Mombasa on Monday.
🌾30 000 tons of 🇺🇦wheat were procured to Kenya and Ethiopia under the #GrainFromUkraine program, initiated by @ZelenskyyUa.
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) March 20, 2023
The grain was delivered thanks to the efforts of @WFP and the contribution of 8 European donor countries. https://t.co/GvmQZ2g0R8 pic.twitter.com/mSTHDS2Xj6
Gachagua expressed his immense gratitude by acknowledging “the great people of Ukraine, a country of gallant, resilient, and industrious farmers, who have stood against all odds to feed the world, Kenya included.”
Zelensky’s Commitment
Even as Ukraine is on the receiving end of continuous attacks and shelling by Russian forces, Zelensky claimed that “as part of the civilised world,” it is essential for his country to contribute jointly and help combat global problems, including hunger issues.
“Today, almost 350 million people on our planet are suffering from hunger,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine will not only “bravely confront the enemy (Russia), but also...help countries whose citizens face food shortages, particularly in Africa and Asia.”
"Around 25 per cent of [Ukraine grain shipments] has gone to low and lower-middle income countries. Egypt (8 per cent), India and Iran (4 per cent each), Bangladesh, Kenya and Sudan (2 per cent each), etc." https://t.co/Ikadn3Rl6h.
— Dhruva Jaishankar (@d_jaishankar) March 16, 2023
Black Sea Grain Initiative Extension Reduced
The Ukrainian shipment to Kenya comes close at the heels of Russia’s decision to reduce the extension period of the UN and Turkey-backed Black Sea grain deal, which was initiated in July last year. The agreement allows Ukraine to export food and fertilisers through three of its Black Sea ports to countries globally.
The deal was extended for 120 days in November 2022, and the extension expires this month; however, Russia is willing to give the next extension for a shorter duration of only 60 days, as opposed to the 120 days stipulated in the agreement.
Moscow cited the debilitating effects of its own export restrictions, which are indirectly due to Western sanctions, as a reason for this reduction of extension. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin declared that Russia’s stance on increasing the extension period would depend on the “tangible process” of normalising Russian “agricultural exports, not in words but deeds.”