Russia supplies 50,000 tons of grain to CAR as humanitarian aid - RIA

Russia has supplied 50,000 tons of grain to the Central African Republic (CAR) as humanitarian food aid, Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing Moscow's ambassador there.

The Russian grain will help address the food problem in the country amid an influx of refugees from neighbouring Chad and Sudan, RIA Novosti quoted envoy Alexander Bikantov as saying.

Russia promised to send free grain shipments to six African countries, including CAR, after pulling out of a U.N.-backed deal in July 2023 that had allowed safe wartime passage for Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea.

After quitting the arrangement, Russia repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities. Ukraine managed to open an alternative Black Sea export corridor, via which it shipped about 4.8 million metric tons of foodstuffs in December.