The first shipment of grain from Ukraine to Africa since the war began has docked at the Red Sea port of Djibouti.
The Lebanese-flagged MV Brave Commander is carrying 23,000 tonnes of wheat bound for neighbouring Ethiopia. It took two weeks to travel here from the Black Sea.
It is rare for journalists gain access to this port in Djibouti. But we are here because of how significant this delivery is.
This is a tiny country with a population of 900,000 people but it has one of the busiest ports on the continent.
Right now, workers have started boarding the vessel to offload its precious cargo. Two gigantic cranes have been positioned for the operation.
The shipment has been arranged by the UN to get the wheat to countries at risk of starvation.
It will take about a week for the wheat to bagged and taken by road to neighbouring Ethiopia, according to the UN’s World Food Programme.
Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years, as well as a number of conflicts.
The shipment is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed in the countries of East Africa – where drought is widespread.
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