Ukrainian grain lifeline reaches famine-hit African nations

The grain from Ukraine has arrived in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Nigeria from state warehouses, where it was stored as a reserve, reported Marianna Ward, deputy director of the World Food Program (WFP).

The government of Ukraine purchased this grain from producers and handed over 39,000 tons to these three African countries.

As part of the Grain from Ukraine program, Kyiv, along with the WFP, delivers grain to 15 countries, including several African countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Mauritania, and Nigeria. Recently, Tanzania and famine-threatened Zambia were added to this list.

Ukrainian grain exports, especially wheat, constitute a significant portion of African imports. Before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, over 50% of the wheat imported to 15 African countries came from both of these currently warring countries.

A thousand tons of grain from Ukraine, financed by France, also reached the Gaza Strip in July. Ukraine plans to deliver another 8,000 tons to the Palestinians in the coming months.