Rome, May 24, 2022 – Anxiety in the world about the shortage of wheatcaused by the war in Ukraine. The first freight train with a load of corn arrived in Lithuania through Poland, to the port of Klaipeda. For its exports, Kiev seeks alternative routes to Ukrainian ports blocked by the war. Meanwhile, prices are rising. A spokesman for the EU Commission declares that “Putin uses the food issue as a weapon and the impact is felt not only on Ukraine, but in Africa and Asia: we have no doubt that Russian troops steal Ukrainian grain or destroy stocks, there is various evidence“Meanwhile, CNN shows satellite photos of the port of Sevastopol, in Crimea, where two Russian ships appear to be loading what is believed to be stolen Ukrainian grain. Kiev launches a dramatic appeal – “do not buy our grain stolen by the Russians” -, China too takes a stand: “We need to push for a timely truce and provide a green corridor for Russia and Ukraine on grain exports”. The situation, on the other hand claims Brussels, “is worsening” and millions of people, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, are at risk of famine.
Storage capacity must also be freed up
“Twenty-twenty-five million tons of wheat must leave Ukraine in less than 3 months. Another 50 million tons of cereals are planned for the next harvest, but there is only room to accommodate 50% of this quantity “, is the warning launched by the EU Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, to the ministers of Agriculture meeting today. in Brussels. “Freeing up storage capacity is the immediate priority in Ukraine but also in the EU”, he said, stressing that “the goal” of grain exports to be achieved is “a minimum of 3 million tons per month,” ideally 4 “to” ensure enough space for the next harvest “.
Military ships to escort merchant ships?
In the meantime he also takes the hypothesis of “a coalition of the willing “, British-led, willing to send military ships to the Black Sea to escort merchant ships. However, it is not known how much the move can really be feasible in practice. London has so far denied it intends to deploy the Royal Navy. But the topic remains on the table. The NATO secretary general it has given its blessing to more generic “efforts” by allied and non-allied countries to break the deadlock. “So far – was the reasoning of Estonian President Alar Karis in Davos – not everyone was convinced that it was a good idea” for fears that the sending of Navy ships could increase the tension in the Black Sea, but beyond the United Kingdom ” some others will probably join us, because if the wheat does not come out of Ukraine there is a risk of a humanitarian crisis “. In any case, a spokesman for the EU Commission cut short, “we cannot reveal what we can and want to do to counter the situation because a war is underway. But there are discussions on how to intervene once the ships have left the ports” .
The risk of mass migration
Wheat shortage could trigger a ripple effect. “If the Ukrainian ports are not freed and the grain is not allowed to be supplied to the peoples of Africa, we will have a migratory mass that will press on us like a demographic bomb triggered by those who have launched a permanent war to subdue our Europe”, Copasir president Adolfo Urso put his hands on. The Minister of the Interior Luciana Lamorgese today spoke of the risk of “an unprecedented humanitarian crisis: 50% of the cereals consumed in Tunisia come from Ukraine. Both in Egypt and Tunisia there is already rationing of bread, it is a war-induced effect. problem that Europe must put at the center, because the food crisis will determine absolute poverty and will affect migratory flows “. Arrivals by sea this year are close to 18 thousand against 13,700 in the same period of 2021. And the Egyptians (3,305) are in first place among the nationalities of those who disembark, followed by Bengalis (3,040) and Tunisians (2,091). The wheat crisis could be the accelerator of a migratory flow towards Europe which could take on enormous dimensions.
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