Not Quite Breaking News
On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the cargo ship Brave Commander sailed from the port of Yuzhny in Ukraine carrying 23,000 metric tons of wheat bound for Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. The wheat will be unloaded there and shipped on to Ethiopia, where it will help address a massive food shortage caused by drought and the interruption of Ukrainian food exports.
The ship was chartered by the United Nations World Food Programme. It is the first humanitarian shipment of grain to leave Ukraine since a deal was negotiated at the end of July between Ukraine and Russia to end the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports and allow Ukrainian grain exports to resume.
About two dozen other ships carrying commercial grain cargoes have left Ukraine since the trade route through the Black Sea was reopened. The ships are navigating a defined sea lane that has been de-mined by the Ukranian and Russian forces.
David Beasley, Executive Director of the WFP commented on the significance of the Brave Commander’s voyage:
Getting the Black Sea ports open is the single most important thing we can do right now to help the world’s hungry. It will take more than grain ships out of Ukraine to stop world hunger, but with Ukrainian grain back on global markets we have a chance to stop this global food crisis from spiralling even further.
France24 television aired a short segment on the ship and it’s mission.
Watching the Ships Roll In
Portugal has a long history of navigating the world’s oceans. And while today there is less “new world” to be discovered, there is still a lot of commerce being facilitated by ships.
We have a view of the Atlantic Ocean from our balcony. It’s one of our favorite things about living in Parede. There are usually one or two cargo ships anchored just offshore. We occasionally see container ships sailing out of the Tagus River from Lisbon, bound for somewhere.
We’ve often wondered where they were going, and now we have a way to know. A few weeks ago, Mike found MarineTraffic.com, a web site that provides real-time location information about thousands of ocean-going vessels. Since then, he has been identifying many of the ships that pass by.
All commercial ships continuously report their identity, position, destination, and other information using a system called AIS – Automatic Identification System. Sites like MarineTraffic use those signals to create interactive maps that display the ships.
One of the most surprising things we’ve seen is the sheer number of vessels on the water. Here’s a view of Europe and Northern Africa on a recent morning.
It’s not all cargo ships. Cruise ships and some private craft also send out tracking signals.
U.S. warships and other U.S. government vessels have AIS capability, but under U.S. law are not required to use it. After two collisions in 2017, a new Navy policy was put in place to turn on AIS, particularly in heavy traffic areas.
Tracking the Brave Commander
Mike has been tracking the progress of the Brave Commander every day. He even created a Google map that shows the ship’s progress.
You can see the updated map here.
Originally the Brave Commander was due to arrive in Djibouti on August 25. That ETA has been updated and now it’s scheduled to arrive on August 31. We’ll keep tracking it until the voyage is complete.
Update – 30 Aug 22: The Brave Commander docked in Djibouti at 09:51 UTC this morning.
Reuters reported on the arrival and the impact the shipment will have. The 23,000 tons of grain will feed 1.5 million hungry people for one month, according to the World Food Programme. But there are 82 million people in the nine country region who need some form of food aid.
Please consider making a donation to the WFP today.
Image credit: Deutsche Welle
Wrapping Up
We first learned about the work of the WFP last winter when they reported on the increasing hunger crisis around the world. We continue to support their work.
What’s the news from your corner of the planet? Give us an update with a comment below or by using the Contact Us form.
Until next week / Até a próxima semana
Mary and Mike
The Cook and The Writer
Mike, you asked for news from this corner of the planet….well, it’s rain, rain, and more rain in the South and Southeast U.S. causing flooding in Lower Alabama, of course. (‘Wish we could share with the drought ridden areas of the world.)
The GOOD news however…NO named tropical or hurricane storms during the month of August which seldom happens.
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the weather report. We could use some of that rain here in Portugal. I’ve forgotten when we last saw rain. I hope the hurricanes keep their distance in September.
Take care,
Mike
Mike and Mary –
Thank you so much for sharing this. I began supporting WFP after reading your post about it last year, and I am grateful to you for opening that particular window on the world for me – and so many others.
I leave this coming Wednesday for Europe – this time to Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and France. I hope to travel back to Portugal one of these days. When I do, I hope to see you!
Hugs,
Nan
Hi Nan,
We’re glad you enjoyed the post and appreciate your support for WFP. It’s exciting to hear about your upcoming trip. We hope you have safe travels and enjoy every minute!
Mike