UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for wealthier countries to help developing nations purchase Ukrainian grain as supplies begin returning to global markets. 

Guterres made appeal from the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday as the global community marks the World Humanitarian Day.

Ships carrying grain have been leaving there under a recent UN-brokered agreement, and Guterres said Odesa was a symbol of what countries can achieve when they work together for the common good. 

Speaking to journalists, the UN chief revealed that it was a moving experience to be at the port, where he witnessed wheat being loaded onto a ship.

“It’s obviously a reason for joy,” he said. 

“But it is also emotional because of the sadness I feel looking into this wonderful harbour and looking into these terminals practically empty with the possibility that this harbour has to develop; that Ukraine and the whole region being cut off because of the war”.

The Odesa port had been paralyzed for months due to the war, which meant that “a critical transportation line from a global breadbasket was cut,” he said.

Things are changing under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the deal to unblock grain and fertilizer exports, signed barely a month ago by Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye and the UN.

Since then, 25 ships have departed from Odesa and other Ukrainian ports, and more are on the way, Guterres said, speaking alongside Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov.

The ships have transported over 600,000 tonnes of grain and food products, namely wheat, corn, sunflower oil, and soybeans.

“But each ship is also a vessel of hope,” he said.  “Hope for Ukrainian farmers finally rewarded for their harvest – with storage being freed up for more.

“Hope for seafarers and the larger shipping community, knowing that it is once again possible to sail through the Black Sea safely and efficiently.  And, most of all, hope for the world’s most vulnerable people and countries.”

The UN chief issued a special call to rich nations on behalf of vulnerable people everywhere who are bearing the brunt of the global food crisis.

“As these ports open, I appeal for wealthier countries to also open their wallets and their hearts. After all, the movement of grains doesn’t mean much to countries that cannot afford it,” he said.

“It is time for massive and generous support so developing countries can purchase the food from this and other ports – and people can buy it.

“Developing countries need access to financing now.  They need debt relief now.  They need resources to invest in their people now.”

The secretary-general also called for more action to ensure full global access to Ukrainian food products, and Russian food and fertiliser, through the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

While no one ever expected the agreement would equal “smooth sailing”, it is unprecedented both in scope and scale, he said, adding that there is still a long way to go.

Guterres explained that getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices.

“But let’s not forget that what we see here in Odesa is only the more visible part of the solution.

“The other part that is also important, that we have been defending, relates to the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions,” he said.

It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market, because “without fertiliser in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023,” he warned.

The secretary-general underlined his deep commitment to these objectives, which he said will only happen if all parties cooperate.

He stressed the need to continue efforts towards improving global food supply and stabilising markets, and to work for peace in line with the UN Charter and international law.

“Today, Odesa is more than just a shipping centre.  This port is a symbol of what the world can do when we commit to working together for the common good,” he said.

“The Ukrainian people has been suffering so much. They have witnessed so many deaths, so much destruction that it is legitimate to aspire for peace.

“But again, I repeat peace in line with the UN Charter, peace in line with international law.

“That is the best way to mark World Humanitarian Day and help set the course for a more just and peaceful world for all,” the UN chief said. NAN, Vanguard

US senator Chris Coons met separately Thursday with Kenya’s President-elect William Ruto, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta amid uncertainty about recent election results. 

Coons, who is on a five-nation tour of Africa, met Odinga who challenged the Aug. 9 elections in which he lost to the deputy president.

“We held candid discussions on developments around our general election and bilateral relations with the Congressional delegation of the US Senate and House of Representatives. We reiterated our commitment to pursuing legal means to resolve issues around the election results,” Odinga wrote in a tweet. He has said that he is going to challenge the results in court.

Coons later met Ruto, who said talks centered on the elections and ties that would benefit both countries.

”The talks touched on the just concluded elections in the country and areas of cooperation between Kenya and United States. We commit to deepen relations and further partnership for the mutual benefit of the citizens of the two countries,” he tweeted.

Later, Coons commended Kenyatta, who made his first public appearance since the elections, for his leadership. “We are encouraged by the peace Kenya has continued to experience during this period,” he said.

Kenyatta said “the process of transition will be smooth” and his greatest desire is for peace to prevail.

Coons’ trip comes days after Ruto was declared Monday the winner of the elections amid a dispute.

Odinga, who was also hoping to take the mantle from Kenyatta, is headed to the Supreme Court to challenge the results.

Lawyer and political analyst George Kithi told Anadolu Agency that the possibility of a brokered power-sharing deal cannot be ruled out but right now all eyes are on the Supreme Court that will decide where to uphold Ruto’s win or call a new election.

“I think because it was done before, probably it can be done now,” he said.

Coons was among those who urged Kenyatta and Odinga to talk in 2017 following an election that was marred with irregularities.

Ruto, 55, was declared the fifth president of the East African nation after Ruto, 55, securing 7,176,141 votes. Odinga received 6,942,930 votes. - Andrew Wasike, Anadolu Agency

MALAKAL - As powerful barges manned by the Bangladeshi Marine Force Unit deployed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) make their careful way across the overflowing waters of the White Nile, the air is laced with expectation.

Lush, thick vegetation characteristic of the Sudd—one of the world’s largest wetlands—flank both sides of the river, providing sanctuary to birds and the odd crocodile. 

A team of peacekeepers are journeying to remote Canal in Pigi county, an area that can only be reached via water routes from Malakal in Upper Nile state. Dark clouds scurry across the sky and the ongoing drizzle soon becomes a deluge. 

On one of the boats is Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for South Sudan. Ms. Beysolow is also the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for this young nation, and this is a special trip for her.

Why? Because she is going to meet communities who, just a few months ago, were living on an active minefield.

“When the plight of the people who relocated to this live minefield was first brought to my attention, the immediate question in my head at the time was why would anybody choose to do that?” asks Fran O’ Grady, Chief of Mine Action, South Sudan. “The answer is—nobody would but communities felt they had no choice.”

Climate change has resulted in some of the heaviest rainfall and flooding across South Sudan in nearly a century. The contours of the Nile and its surrounding swamps have changed dramatically, and this has led to a desperate search for dry land by communities.

Some 1,500 people, in a bid to survive, moved into an area littered with 25 anti-personnel mines, a grim legacy of previous conflicts.

Upon hearing about this shocking incident late last year, UNMAS lost no time mobilizing all resources and capabilities, battling huge odds to make the ground safe for people.

It wasn’t an easy task.

The first obstacle they faced was the hard ground. It couldn’t be demined manually and they had to source a special machine. The second – racing against time to complete their lifesaving work before torrential downpours made the location impossible to reach!

“We had a miniscule window of opportunity because the rains were only a few weeks away,” recalls Mr. O’ Grady. “The nearest machine was a long boat ride away. We had to acquire that machine; fix it; find a barge to carry it up the river to Canal before it started pouring; and put together a team to do the actual clearance,” he reveals.

“It was a gamble but I’m really happy to say it worked out and we managed to clear the entire area of anti-personnel mines,” he adds.

Mr O’Grady’s words are borne out by the warm welcome that DSRSG Nyanti received when she reached Canal. Singing, dancing and heartfelt conversations were the order of the day.

“There’s so much life here,” states the UNMISS Deputy Head. “We’re responsible for 75 per cent of demining activities in South Sudan and this is a stellar example. Before UNMAS cleared these grounds there were only 1,500 people in Canal and now we have some 10,000 community members living here. We hear children laughing and playing. Every step that people take is safe and the ground they live on is safe. This is a huge achievement in terms of ensuring access to humanitarian services and development programming.

Ms. Beysolow acknowledges that much more remains to be done. Walking around in gumboots, a raincoat, and an umbrella, she is oblivious to the mud below her feet and focuses on community leaders, women, and children, while also participating in some of the jubilation that her arrival has occasioned.

She takes their stories seriously and listens carefully, as the rain beats down.

Inclement weather has become a way of life here and community members flock to narrate their issues—snakes run them out of their homes; they need clean water and medical care, plus their children lack proper schools.

But it is the plight of the women that hits the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator hard.

“No matter what title or position I hold, I am first and foremost an African woman. Listening to the issues that the women in this community are facing is hard for me. The fact that a woman in 2022 must either leave her home and find somewhere else to live when she is seven months pregnant or reconcile herself to a 50-50 chance of dying because she won’t have access to a hospital to deliver her baby safely—that’s painful. It is painful to hear snakes and people are fighting for the same space; that people are pushed out of their homes at night when snakes enter because of floods,” states Ms. Nyanti passionately.

Despite these persistent challenges, the people of Canal hold deep gratitude in their hearts for the efforts made by UNMAS.

Sarah, a women’s representative (and DSRSG Nyanti’s namesake) says that the demining activities have hugely improved quality of life for the communities in Canal.

“Before UNMAS helped us we were always afraid of what was under the ground. We feared that our children would pick up something that was dangerous and be hurt or killed. Now, we can live without apprehension; we can dig the ground to build ourselves tukuls (mud huts) that provide us shelter from the rain and our children can play freely,” she discloses with a smile.

Significantly, despite their daily hardships, Canal communities live peaceably. Host communities and internally displaced people stand together in their battle against climate shocks and are united in their need for healthcare, education, clean water, and food.

Thanks to UNMAS and its committed deminers, hope, which was in short supply, has got a new lease of life in Canal. With additional help from international friends, people here could possibly recover and rebuild their lives.

“The people of Canal have themselves chosen to clear their pathway to peace,” says DSRSG Nyanti.

“This is really an important step. When there is peace, when the ground they live on is safe, and when they have worked hard to reconcile their differences, we, as the UN family, can rally to garner more support for them." - Priyanka Chowdhury, United Nations