Russia has donated 260,000 metric tons that were sitting in European ports and warehouses for use by farmers in Africa.
U.N. spokesman, Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday welcoming the announcement.
“This will serve to alleviate humanitarian needs and prevent catastrophic crop loss in Africa, where it is currently planting season,” Dujarric said.
Russia has complained that Western sanctions are to blame for its decrease in fertilizer exports. But Western nations repeatedly stress that they do not sanction food or fertilizer products from Russia.
A package deal signed in Istanbul on July 22 has made it possible for more than 12 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain to get to the market from three of its Black Sea ports while working to build confidence with the private sector in order to return to pre-invasion export levels of Russian fertilizers and grain.
“The U.N. is continuing intense diplomatic efforts with all parties to ensure the unimpeded exports of critical food and fertilizers from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine, that are exempt from sanction regimes, to the world markets,” Dujarric told reporters.
“The deal, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was renewed on November 17 for an additional four months.”
He said a ship chartered by the World Food Program left the Netherlands on Tuesday carrying 20,000 tons of the fertilizer destined for the southeastern African nation of Malawi.
Dujarric said it would take about a month to reach Beira, in Mozambique, and then would be transported overland to Malawi, which is a landlocked country.
“It will be the first of a series of shipments of fertilizer destined for a number of other countries on the African continent in the coming months,” Dujarric added.
