"The world’s population is in grave danger, if we don’t renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative. On top of conflict, Covid, climate shocks, the war in Ukraine, the breadbasket of the world, then you have an earthquake in Turkiye, Syria devastating people. And now, we’ve got the Black Sea Grain Initiative coming to an end. It must be renewed at all costs," he said in a Twitter video published on Sunday.
Beasley also said that Ukraine’s grain exports can feed up to 400 million people, adding that the WFP has managed to provide food to 36 million people thanks to the grain deal. If the grain deal is not extended, the world will face "mass destabilization, mass migration, and famine," he said, concluding that "the world is at stake."
In early April, Beasley will step down and Cindy McCain, the 68-year-old widow of former US Republican Senator John McCain, will become the new head of the WFP. Her candidacy was supported by the Executive Board, the WFP's supreme governing body, last week.
In late February, the WFP announced it had transported more than 481,000 tonnes of wheat from Ukrainian ports since the conclusion of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
On July 22, 2022, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The agreement, originally set to expire on November 19, 2022, was renewed for another 120 days ending March 18, unless it is extended once again. Russia has repeatedly criticized the agreement for failing to ensure the unimpeded exports of Russian grain and fertilizers, due to Western sanctions.