Russia’s help for the poor countries of Africa for the supply of grains and fertilizers—with some free of charge—are affected by Western sanctions, a deplorable situation given the fact that the donation is actually meant to satisfy the grumbling stomachs of the poor in that continent. This fact has been brought out by no less than Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a speech at the UN General Assembly where he cited that the Western sanctions imposed on Russia prevented the supply of grain as well as fertilizers to the poor of Africa.
This is lamentable since the Russian donation, to the poor countries of Africa, was meant to address the UN’s dire prediction on the increasing number of poor families in Africa who were unable to have access to the grains. Lavrov said in that UN speech last week that “financial and logistical obstacles, put up by the United States and the European Union, [have prevented the] exports of Russian grain and fertilizers.”
The sanctions have prevented the donation as they “have not yet been lifted completely,” Lavrov said in an address last Saturday at the general debate during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. And while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was able to facilitate the Istanbul accords of July 22 that allowed the export of grains coming from Ukraine, the sanctions hit hard the supply of grains to poor countries due to the West’s sanctions.
Russia and Ukraine agreed for the unhampered delivery of grains amidst the ongoing Ukraine crisis so as to ensure that the grains, as well as fertilizers, can be shipped to the countries in need. Supply-chain hitches have resulted in the non-delivery of the grains from Ukraine ports and this was what the Istanbul Accord of July sought to remedy. But it seems that the supposed thrust of the agreement forged under the cloud of war materiel did not go as planned. And this was clearly emphasized by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
And that is what is ironic about the issue: The supply of Ukraine grains, done through the efforts of Turkey, have not actually benefited the poor nations as was what was drawn up. Remember that the UN participated in the Istanbul Accord aware of the worsening hunger situation in poor countries like that in Africa. The Ukraine grain went to the developed countries in the West, a fact that was outed in the open in the just-concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan.
Speaking during the SCO summit in Uzbekistan on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed “that the poorest countries have received only a very small amount of produce from Ukraine under the UN-mediated grain deal, while the lion’s share of the exports have gone to European countries.” An infographic done by Sputnik showed clearly where the grains went and surely, the poor nations of Africa were left holding the empty bag.
Delivering food and fertilizers to the world’s poorest and developing countries was proclaimed as among the key objectives of the so-called grain deal that was signed by Russia and Ukraine, mediated by Turkey and the UN, earlier this year. However, these supplies have mostly been distributed in Europe, the Russian president said on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan.
So there is a need for a rework on the agreement, most especially of the sanctions, which affected an altruistic move from Russia such as the supply of grains and fertilizer. The Istanbul Accord, if it had to be meaningful, should see to it that grains and fertilizer destined for the poor countries, especially of Africa, are delivered sans the sanctions. Absent this, the accord’s template misses its clear objective: to feed the poor.
Lavrov emphasized the enormity of the situation now playing out: “Most of the vessels carrying Ukrainian grain do not sail to the poorest countries, while the financial and logistical obstacles created by the US and the EU to Russia’s exports of grain and fertilizers have not yet been removed fully.” And yet Russia, according to him, is even offering “to hand over to African states 300,000 tons of fertilizers free of charge, but the EU is against this,” he added.