The freighter was actually supposed to bring an urgently needed delivery of grain from Ukraine to Lebanon. But the ship’s voyage did not just end unscheduled on the open sea. The load is also different than expected.
Just a week ago, when the fully loaded “Razoni” left the port of Odessa for Lebanon, the departure of the transport ship was considered a symbol of hope.
Not only because it is the result of successful negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. So two countries that are currently at war with each other. With the grain on board, the fight against the famine in the Middle East and Africa should also be resumed.
But the high expectations of many observers were bitterly disappointed. The transport ship was originally supposed to arrive in Tripoli on Sunday morning with 26,000 tons of corn on board. However, the freighter “Razoni” never reached its destination.
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About a day before arrival, the captain is said to have changed course on instruction, as reported by several media. According to the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon, the buyer of the grain is said to have canceled the purchase because of the five-month delivery time.
The ship is now anchored around 60 kilometers south-east of the southern Turkish port of Mersin, where it is waiting for a new purchase offer. It is not yet clear when and where the cargo ship will continue its journey. “I can only confirm that negotiations are still taking place,” said Ukrainian Ambassador Ihor Ustash in Tripoli to ARD Studio Cairo.
Furthermore, the stored grain is not food for human consumption, as might be assumed in view of the hunger crisis. No – tons and tons of chicken feed are stored on board the “Razoni”, as reported by the “Tagesspiegel”, among others.
In Lebanon, however, the population is still waiting for urgently needed food supplies from Ukraine. The people there are suffering not only because of the ongoing drought but also from the effects of the Ukraine war.
Because Russia had blocked Ukrainian grain deliveries abroad for months, the supply of the people in Lebanon is no longer guaranteed. And the crisis situation there is not an isolated case: according to the UN, the hunger crisis has worsened dramatically in numerous countries as a result of the conflict.
Around 50 million people would also suffer from hunger as a result of the war because they are dependent on food supplies from Russia and Ukraine. The Middle East and North and East African countries are particularly affected.
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To take joint action against the world hunger crisis, the UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine met a few weeks ago in Istanbul and jointly launched the Istanbul Grain Agreement.
Three Ukrainian ports were approved as export sites, and a joint coordination team was put together from all parties involved to organize the trips and inspect the ships. A total of three million tons of grain are to be delivered every month.
How the “Razoni” will continue is unclear. Ambassador Ustasch told the “ARD Studio Cairo”. “Politically, it was a clear decision: the first freighter from Odessa should dock in Lebanon. But there are other actors too – economic actors who have yet to finalize their negotiations. I hope an agreement can be found soon.”
