BBC Pidgin of Monday, 24 July 2023

Source: BBC

Di collapse of di Russia-Ukraine Black Sea deal fit cause food crisis?

File foto File foto

As Russia don suspend di Ukraine deal, warning don dey come say ogbonge food shortages for Africa kontris don start as dem dey handle di problem of drought.

Many international observers surprise say Kremlin do dat kain tin just few days to di Russia-Africa Summit wey dem run for St Petersburg for July 27-28.

Di agreement wey dem don renew three times since e start for July 2022 say dem go allow cargo ships to fit pass safely along one corridor for di Black sea to and from di Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.

Di Kenyan goment call out wetin Russia do say na stab in di back.

Dem add say di way e go affect kontris wey dey Horn of Africa na im go bad pass.

Di hold up for grain trade don already put plenti stress on Africa food distribution networks, wey go leave millions

How dis one go affect food security?

More dan 50 million pipo from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan dey in need of food aid sake of years of failed rains.

Di UN say di grain deal bin allow Ukraine to ship 625,000 tonnes of food as humanitarian aid give those kontris.

"Di trade for food, feed and fertilizers for di Black Sea dey necessary for di world food prices to dey stable. E dey sad to say dat na poor pipo and poor kontris go suffer di most", na wetin Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala wey be di Director General of di World Trade Organization tok.

Di deal bin also add to di 11.6% drop for food prices worldwide for July 2022, according to di UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Now pipo dey worry say dat work go sharparly scata.

"Di market dynamics go change immediately. You know say di market dey always follow di new", na how Dr Constantinos wey be economist and professor of Public Policy for Addis Ababa University.

"As soon as dis announcement comot, grain traders go start to raise dia prices, kontris go start to dey hoard food supplies and go ban exports from dia kontris."

Di rising cost of food prices and di rising cost of living don lead to deadly protests for Kenya.

Economist don dey draw ear warn about wetin e mean for di wider economy.

Dr Constantinos tok say, "kontris go get very serious problem wit how dem dey get dia wheat and vegetables and fertaliser imports from Russia and e go lead to oda issues especially for refugees and internally displaced pipo inside Africa."

<>Ebb

possible say Russia fit do U-turn with dia decision?President Putin don clear di air ontop Moscow decision say dem go return to di deal wen di West meet dia demands wey include removal of restrictions and resumptions of financial activities.

Dis na ansa to di intense global pressure and diplomatic efforts to handle di mata.

International stakeholders wey di United Nations and Turkey, di European Union, and plenti African nations dey lead on follow Russia officials to arrange wetin go fit keep food security safe.

Dis go affect Russia work to win support for Africa?

Di risk wey Russia fit enta be say dis suspension fit affect or even scata di relationship wit dia African partners.

Di Russia-Africa summit go hold for St Petersburg for July 27-28. 14 African kontris dey depend on Russia and Ukraine for half of di wheat import.

From Libya go Mali, Sudan, di Central African Republic (CAR), Mozambique and elsewhere, Rissia don dey chook head most time wit military to help fight rebels and jihadist militants.