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Pictures |  Ukrainian grain causes traffic jam in Istanbul

Pictures | Ukrainian grain causes traffic jam in Istanbul

It can hardly be counted, installed as far as the eye can see off the coast of Istanbul. As Ukraine’s grain exports accelerate, there is a traffic jam at the gates of the Bosphorus.

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On Tuesday, 150 cargo ships waited at the exit and entry of the strait, high in empty water, with bellies full of waves, nearly a dozen days for some, before passing the rigorous inspection confirming the authenticity of their voyage.

Signed on July 19 under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey and in force since August 1, the agreement reached with Kyiv and Moscow on Ukrainian grain exports has already allowed more than 630 flights in both directions.

In total, more than 6.9 million tons went to Europe, the Middle East and to a lesser extent Africa, according to data from the Joint Coordination Center (JRC) in Istanbul, which authorizes and controls the roads.

Wheat and maize primarily to ease global markets and respond to fears of a food crisis.

Aboard the Nord Wind, the black and white bulk carrier under the Barbados flag, relief can be seen as the team of inspectors reach the bottom of the rope ladder to reach the bridge.

Marwan, one of the Syrian sailors, told AFP they had been waiting here “for eleven days. That’s a lot.”

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Especially that despite the view of the Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet mosques, “the mooring area is difficult. You have to constantly change places and restart the machines.. why are we waiting like this? He wonders.

It was the JRC itself that sounded the alarm last weekend, seeing deadlines stretch despite its efforts to double the number of inspection teams, “from two to four.”

While traffic with Ukrainian ports has made its way, “the average waiting time for outbound shipments (from Ukraine) last week was an average of nine days,” he warned in a press release referring to “the congestion of the Marmara Sea.”

As the debate over the renewal of the agreement began, on November 19, the Coordination Center asked shipowners to respect the procedures contained in the letter and be prepared “before declaring their readiness,” he insists, because “more than 50 times, the inspection cannot be carried out on the first attempt.” “.

For their part, admits a monitor on condition of anonymity, shipping companies are complaining of delays that could cost them “$5,000 a day plus lost profits.”

Each team includes eight inspectors, two for each party to the agreement: Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkey – the latter primarily responsible for logistics.

Nord Wind screening 169 meters and 27,250 tons of wheat takes two good hours.

While some visitors were already on board, others noticed the reservation doors were open, putting inspectors at risk of infection. He jumped, everyone went back down, wasted about ten minutes.

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Each shipment must already undergo a fumigation process with a pesticide – aluminum phosphate – to protect the integrity of the grain against various infestations, sums up Udani Pereira, an inspector seconded to the United Nations by the Sri Lankan Navy,

“Then the stores had to be ventilated, but they had to be closed before we arrived for the health of the team,” she explains.

Once on board, the inspectors divide the tasks: checking records, identification papers, the route they took, fuel tanks and, of course, the condition of the grain.

Odani Pereira reviews the crew’s documents and checks their accommodations “to make sure that there are no unauthorized persons on board”.

Meanwhile, his Ukrainian colleagues measure the condition of the oil dipstick and the Russians descend along the corridors and conduct tests in the cabins.

“Your boat is one of the best,” slips to the captain one of them.

The green light for the trip to Tunisia is the final destination of the “Nordfind”.

In the morning, the inspection of the huge “Chola Treasure”, a 225-meter bulk carrier in Singapore colors waiting – empty – to make its way to Chronomorsk, near Odessa, took more than three hours.

“The duration depends on the size of the ship and its state of readiness. This morning, the documents were missing,” the young inspector breathes.

Lots of wasted time. The sun sets and only two of the four planned boats can be examined.