Ships to Lebanon bring hope, not a solution to the food crisis

Beirut (AP) — Ships carrying corn to Tripoli port in northern Lebanon are not usually controversial . But it is gaining attention because of where it came from: the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa. It is emerging from the edge of the Russian war that is threatening food supplies in countries like Lebanon that boast inflationary rates. A staggering 122% and almost all wheat depends on the Black Sea region.

Fighting has trapped 20 million tons of grain inside Ukraine, and with Lazoni's departure on Monday, these foods have been removed and delivered to farms and bakeries. A big step has been taken to feed millions of people with Poor people suffering from hunger in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

"It's a big deal to actually see shipments move," said Jonathan Haynes, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Glo Intelligence. “This 26,000 tonnes of the 20 million tonne scale locked up is nothing, absolutely nothing…but as we begin to see this, confidence will grow with each shipment.”

Its small size means that the first shipments from the world's breadbasket will not immediately lower food prices or alleviate the global food crisis. What's more, most of the trapped grain is meant for animal feed, not for humans, experts say. That's thousands of miles away in countries like Somalia and Afghanistan, where hunger can quickly turn into famine and where inflation is pushing food and energy costs out of reach for many.

For Lebanon's farmers, shipments expected this weekend will increase as prices rise. also indicates that grain may be available again, said Ibrahim Tarchichi, president of the Bekaa Farmers Association.

But he said it would not affect his country, where years of endemic and political divisions have upended life. The economy has contracted by at least 58% since 2019, the currency has depreciated so severely, and half the population now lives in poverty.

"I think the crisis will continue as long as operating costs continue to rise and purchasing power declines," Tarchichi said.

Two years after a massive explosion that killed more than 200 people and injured thousands, he said this week that parts of Beirut's gigantic port grain silos were in a huge cloud of dust. The strife came into sharp relief when it collapsed in .

Though symbolic, the shipment did little to cool market concerns. Drought and fertilizer spikes have made grain prices more than 50% higher than he was in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Ukraine is the largest supplier of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil to developing countries, but accounts for just 10% of the international wheat trade.

And there is little to suggest that the world's poorest, who depend on Ukrainian wheat distributed through United Nations agencies such as the World Food Program, will soon be able to access them. , half of the grain purchased for distribution by the World Food Program came from Ukraine.

Lazoni's safe passage was guaranteed by a four-month deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey between Ukraine and Russia two weeks ago. The Grain Corridor through the Black Sea is 111 nautical miles long and 3 nautical miles wide, with waters strewn with drifting explosive mines that slow work.

In addition he had three ships set out on Friday for Turkey, Ireland and England. All the ships that have sailed so far have been stranded for nearly half a year since the war began.

Under this agreement, some (but not all) of the exported food is sent to countries experiencing food insecurity. This means it could take weeks for people in Africa to see grain from new shipments, and it could take even longer to see the impact on higher food prices. said Sean Ferris, Agriculture and Markets Advisor for Kenya-based Catholic Relief Services. Distribution of the World Food Programme.

In East Africa, Somalia, neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya suffered the worst drought in 40 years, killing thousands. Survivors say they buried their children when they fled to camps where they found little help.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Somalia and other African countries turned to non-traditional grain partners such as India, Turkey and Brazil, but price is higher. As markets for imported foods adjust and local harvests progress, prices for key foodstuffs could start to fall in the next few months, Ferris said.

Determining who will receive grain from Ukraine first may be influenced by humanitarian needs, but may depend on existing business arrangements and who is willing to pay the most. It could also result in commercial gains such as, Ferris said.

"Ukraine is not a charity," he said. In order to sustain its own fragile economy, "they will try to get the best deals on the market."

In Lebanon, flour has been in the market since Russia's war began. prices have risen more than 200% of his, he said Mercy Corps. recent bread.

The government greenlit his $150 million World Bank loan to import wheat. It's a temporary solution for six to nine months before we're forced to completely remove bread subsidies.

While the situation is hard for millions of Lebanese, about one million Syrian refugees who fled the civil war across the border face stigma and discrimination when trying to buy bread. there is

A Syrian living in northern Lebanon said he often makes three or four trips to a bakery before finding someone to sell bread in favor of Lebanese. He explained the line of 100 people waiting and only a handful allowed every half hour to buy a small loaf of bread. So I get all kinds of disrespectful comments, which I usually ignore, but it gets so much that I go home empty-handed," he said. He remained anonymous for fear of retribution.

——

Batrawi was reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Anna from Nairobi, Kenya. Follow his AP coverage of the war between Russia and Ukraine at

-

https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine