Transcript
SUMI SOMASKANDA: Russia is no longer in the deal. There are concerns that food prices will soar once again. And we're going to talk about that now with Isobel Coleman. She's the Deputy Administrator at USAID. Thank you so much for joining us on our program tonight. I want to start with the news that we're receiving that there are Russian air attacks in Odesa for the second night in the row – in a row rather. And it's one of the Ukraine's main ports for exporting grain. How critical is this to food security?
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ISOBEL COLEMAN: Well, Odessa and the Black Sea are very critical for food security. You've got two big bread baskets, Russia and Ukraine, which both use the Black Sea and to be able to export vast amounts of wheat and grains and oils through the Black Sea. And Odesa is one of Ukraine's major ports. It has been operating at less than 15 percent capacity since Russia invaded. And that has only been because that 15 percent has been what they've been able to get out with this Black Sea Grain Initiative, which as you mentioned, Russia has now pulled out of so this is a very, very serious situation for world food security. So many millions of people depend on Ukrainian grain exports around the world and Ukraine tends to have less expensive grains to export and it goes to some of the poorest countries in the world, the Horn of Africa, countries in the Middle East, Yemen, Afghanistan, they've all been dependent on Ukrainian exports.
MS. SOMASKANDA: So we saw USAID pledging $250 million in funding to help Ukrainian farmers who are dealing with the effects of this blockade. But we could see yet another shock to global food prices, as you said, with this disruption, and Russia ending its participation in the deal. But the U.S. could of course, work with its allies to make sure the grain and food products still reach global markets. How can that be done?
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR COLEMAN: Well, we are doing everything we can. We and the Europeans are working together to have alternate routes for Ukraine to be able to export its crops. So overland routes through Poland, Romania, using the Danube out through the Romanian ports, and really trying everything that we can to be able to keep some of the food exports flowing. But it's not easy. It's not a replacement for the Black Sea, which offered, you know, big shipping at a much more expedited way and lower cost than these other routes. But these other routes over the past year have increased their ability to get exports from Ukraine out. You've seen, you know, up to 4,000 percent increases from a pretty low level a year ago to over a couple of million tonnes a month now coming out through these – the Danube and the overland routes through Poland.
MS. SOMASKANDA: That's pretty significant. I want to ask you about the humanitarian situation as well, because your organization also announced more than $500 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Ukraine that includes emergency food assistance, health care, safe drinking water, where are these supplies most needed in Ukraine?
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR COLEMAN: Well, certainly on the front lines in the eastern part of the country where around Bakhmut, as we just heard, around Zaporizhzhia. But on the eastern edge of the country where the fighting is happening, those are the places where people have suffered the most. Where Russia blew up the dam, the Kakhova Dam that displaced hundreds of thousands of people, cities like Kharkiv that have been badly badly damaged, and even look at Odesa you know you people have not been able to rebuild and and get back on with their lives with this constant bombing, constant shelling, constant attacks on civilian infrastructure, on energy, on water. So really all over the country but particularly in the east.
MS. SOMASKANDA: Okay, so we know that the USAID is, of course, working with partners on the ground but you just said these are constant barrages, so how difficult will it be to get the supplies to these areas?
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR COLEMAN: Well, there are constant barrages. But the good news is that the Ukrainians now have air defenses that are helping, you know, enormously to protect civilians. Some of the damage that occurred in Odesa was debris falling from those air defenses, but many of the missiles have been shot down. Over the past year plus, we've been able to move a lot of supplies towards the east of the country to get them quickly to where people need them when there are these attacks. Of course, they're also attacks in the center of the country on Kyiv. Even in the west of the country in Lyiv, we've seen it, Russia attacking many different cities. But there is easy access to be able to get supplies in.
MS. SOMASKANDA: And why – one final question, why do you think it's important that this aid continues to flow as the war is going on?
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR COLEMAN: Well, I think the economic aid is just as important as the military aid. It allows Ukraine to keep functioning as a government, to be delivering services to its people. The supplies that we've provided have allowed the lights to stay on, to keep the energy going, even as Russia has relentlessly attacked civilian infrastructure, hospitals to keep working and of course, first responders to be able to meet the needs of the Ukrainian people all across the country as they are making the ultimate sacrifice and fighting this war, this brutal invasion of their own country.
MS. SOMASKANDA: Isobel Coleman, thank you so much for joining us on BBC News.
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR COLEMAN: Thank you.