The United Nations has issued a warning about a new threat to world food security, claiming that Russia is limiting the number of ships carrying Ukrainian wheat to Black Sea ports.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujaric voiced grave worry that just 33 ships departed Ukrainian ports in May, less than half of the amount in April.
Cereal and other food product exports reached only 1.3 million tonnes last month.
More than 1.5 million tons of agricultural products are waiting to be exported to at least ten countries, including Turkey, China, Egypt, and Bangladesh, at the Pivdeni port.
Ammonia is a critical chemical fertilizer, and Moscow wants Ukraine to export it via a pipeline from Togliatti, Russia, to the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
As to the UN spokeswoman, such a delay might lead to a rise in food prices, particularly wheat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked friends to put pressure on Russia to allow food supplies to flow again.
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