The Black Sea grain deal, set up by the EU, UN, and Turkey in July 2020, has enabled the World Food Programme to deliver valuable aid to countries like Ethiopia and Afghanistan and has eased pressure on global food prices. This deal is up for renewal March 19, and both Ukraine and Russia have gripes. Ukraine is pushing for greater access to world markets, while Russia is pushing back against Western sanctions. Ukraine has accused Russia of using food as a weapon and deliberately holding up inspections for ships, while Russia has criticized “hidden” Western sanctions and the lack of access to SWIFT. The amount of grain backlogged in Turkey is enough to feed the world’s estimated 828 million hungry people for more than two weeks. As talks resume this week, the fate of the grain deal hangs in the balance. Follow me on Facebook for updates about the grain deal and the food crisis.
Source link
Join our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.pakistanaffairs.pk