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An aerial photograph taken on October 31, 2022 shows a cargo ship loaded with grain being inspected in the anchorage area of the southern entrance to the Bosphorus in Istanbul. – Cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on october 31, 2022 despite Russia’s decision to pull out from a landmark deal designed to ease a global food crisis. As one of the brokers of the grain deal, Turkey has stepped up diplomacy with the two warring countries in a bid to save it as Russia warned that continuing to enforce the agreement without its participation would be “dangerous”. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)
Despite the big promises of the deal, the transfer of food to African countries and achievement of food security, the result of its work is so far only a small part of the grain that has reached the African continent from Ukraine and from EU ports.
Regardless of the unblocking of 20 000 tons of fertilisers in the Netherlands as charitable assistance from the Russian group of companies Uralchem-Uralkali, 262 000 tons of fertilisers, as well as 25 million tons of agricultural products, are still retained in Europe.
And periodic public statements by the foreign ministries of the EU countries about the beginning of sending delayed humanitarian aid to African countries are still hanging in the air.
According to the recent statistics of the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, of the 25 million tons of grain transported under the Grain Deal, only 12% were delivered to Africa against 40% to Europe.
To realise the economic and productive development potential of the countries of the African continent, in which all the key players in the international arena are interested, achieving food security is vital.
However, some European countries with their demonstrated readiness to transfer humanitarian aid to Africa, are finding new obstacles to the implementation of this process over and over again.
* Kevan Salim, Student of The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the Republic of Singapore.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.