U.N. ship brings food relief from Ukraine to drought-hit Horn of Africa
A ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa docked on Tuesday, the United Nations said, the first to make the journey since the Russian invasion six months ago.
The vessel Brave Commander is carrying 23,000 tonnes of grain and will soon be followed by another carrying 7,000 tonnes, the United Nations' World Food Programme said.
The total shipment, to be unloaded in Djibouti and transported to Ethiopia, is enough to feed 1.5 million people for a month, according to the WFP.
That barely begins to alleviate the problems of Eastern Africa, where the WFP says extreme weather, surging food prices and conflict mean 82 million people need food aid across nine countries - Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
"This shipment, the first of many we hope, will allow WFP to deliver this grain to 1.53 million people in Ethiopia and cover their needs for a month. It’s a start but we must continue to keep the food flowing to save lives across the region," said Michael Dunford, WFP director for Eastern Africa.
Officials hope the successful voyage will inspire private companies to begin shipping grain from Ukraine to Eastern Africa, where rising global food prices and difficulties raising donor funding have forced the United Nations to cut rations for refugees and displaced people. Read More...
