Lebanon-bound ship brings hope, not solution to food crisis

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB, AYA BATRAWY and CARA ANNA
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A ship bringing tons of corn for chicken feed to Lebanon’s northern port of Tripoli normally would not cause a stir. But it’s getting attention because of where it came from: Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa. The Razoni is emerging from the edges of a war that has threatened food supplies in countries like Lebanon, which has the world’s highest rate of food inflation at a staggering 122% and depends on the Black Sea region for nearly all of its wheat. Russia’s invasion trapped 20 million tons of grains inside Ukraine. The Razoni’s departure last Monday marked a first major step toward getting the supplies to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.