WFP boss says renewing Black Sea grain deal critical for Africa

The head of the UN food agency warned on Saturday that failure to renew a UN-backed initiative that has enabled Ukraine to export grain from ports blockaded by Russia would be catastrophic as millions in Africa are on the cusp of famine.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, World Food Programme (WFP) boss David Beasley said that the initiative's current grain flows were still falling well short of the needs of poorer countries.