U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, during which they discussed global humanitarian needs and the Istanbul grain deal.
The meeting at the State Department addressed “record-high global humanitarian needs driven by a variety of issues, including conflict, climate change, and the pandemic," said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in a statement.
The two men also discussed the crises in Afghanistan and Ethiopia as well as the vital need to prevent a deadly famine in Somalia.
Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond a Nov. 19 deadline to include Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
