David Beasley, head of the UN World Food Program, has asked Russian President Putin to open Ukrainian Black Sea ports until their blockade has led to a global disaster.
This was reported by CNN.
"Millions of people around the world will die because these ports are being blocked," Beasley said.
Asked what he would say directly to Putin, the UN official said: "If you have any heart at all for the rest of the world, regardless of how you feel about Ukraine, you need to open up those ports."
Vital agricultural supplies from Ukraine, known as the breadbasket of the world, are stuck in a war-torn country as Russia blocks Odesa and neighboring ports.
- Almost 4.5 million tons of grain are blocked in Ukrainian ports: products cannot be exported — sea routes are closed amid the Russian military invasion. Grain and other agricultural products can no longer be delivered to their destination. The situation threatens global food security.
- On May 12, the European Commission provided Kyiv with an action plan aimed at helping Ukraine export its agro-industrial products. These are the so-called Solidarity Lanes. 20 million tons of grain should be shipped from Ukraine in less than three months using EU infrastructure.