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Egypt: Wheat Reserves are Sufficient After Russia's Withdrawal from Grain Agreement

The Egyptian government meeting (Egyptian cabinet)
The Egyptian government meeting (Egyptian cabinet)
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Egypt: Wheat Reserves are Sufficient After Russia's Withdrawal from Grain Agreement

The Egyptian government meeting (Egyptian cabinet)
The Egyptian government meeting (Egyptian cabinet)

The Egyptian government has reassured citizens about the wheat reserves after Russia suspended the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Ali al-Mosilhy, said Egypt's strategic wheat reserves are sufficient for five months of consumption.

Moselhi criticized Russia's withdrawal from the UN grain-export deal, saying Egypt was not pleased.

He explained that transport, logistics, and cargo insurance are the most affected sectors.

The Minister was speaking on the sidelines of the 16th session of the General Assembly of the intra-Africa metrology system (AFRIMETS).

He admitted the withdrawal would impact Egypt and other African countries, especially since many states had difficulty importing wheat.

Mosilhy expected an 8-percent global hike in the price of a ton of wheat, pointing out that the Egyptian government would bear any price differences and it would not affect the citizen.

He pointed out that Egypt started signing agreements with India to import wheat and sugar, explaining that Egypt was keen on having multiple wheat sources, including France, Germany, Romania, US, and Bulgaria.

The Minister noted that the local wheat supply amounted to 3.8 million tons.

Meanwhile, agricultural expert Ashraf Kamal believes maintaining a safe strategic wheat stock is essential.

Kamal told Asharq Al-Awsat that wheat stocks have declined globally after the supply chain and Russian-Ukrainian war crises.

Russia and Ukraine represent about 30 percent of global grain exports.

He explained that the state must follow two main paths to ensure wheat strategic reserve: diversifying the supply sources and wheat origins and increasing self-sufficiency.

Following presidential directives, the Egyptian state is moving to provide remunerative wheat prices by increasing the cost of last year's cultivated ardeb.

The state also introduced new areas planted with wheat, said the expert, pointing out that the Ministry of Supply aimed to purchase more than 4 million tons of grain from Egyptian farmers this season.

Kamal asserted that the government must continue supporting farmers, increasing the state's purchase prices and announcing it well before the planting season.

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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

Medical aid agency MSF said on Friday it has been forced to suspend its activities at one of the few remaining hospitals in southern Khartoum due to repeated attacks, cutting off yet another lifeline for those who remain in the Sudanese capital.
War has been raging in Sudan since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The hospital, which lies in territory controlled by the RSF, helped treat the victims of frequent airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as hundreds of malnourished women and children in an area where two neighborhoods have been judged at risk of famine, reported Reuters.
"In the 20 months MSF teams have worked alongside hospital staff and volunteers, Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients," MSF said in a statement.
"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."
The fighting in Sudan has cut off up to 80% of hospitals in conflict areas, where millions who cannot afford to escape the violence remain. Civilians face frequent air and artillery fire and hunger as supplies are blocked by both warring parties and prices skyrocket.
Medical facilities, including MSF-supported ones that have suspended operations, have frequently come under attack by RSF soldiers demanding treatment or looting supplies. Bashair Hospital has served more than 25,000 people, MSF said, including 9,000 hurt by blasts, gunshot wounds, and other violence.
"Sometimes dozens of people arrived at the hospital at the same time after shelling or airstrikes on residential areas and markets," MSF said in the statement, citing an incident on Sunday where an airstrike one kilometer away drove 50 people to the emergency room, 12 of them already dead.