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The humanitarian aid ship Brave Commander, carrying 20,000 tons of wheat from Ukraine, was received at the Port of Samsun on Thursday in a joint event organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Samsun Governorate.
The aid delivery is part of ongoing WFP humanitarian operations aimed at combating global hunger. Of the shipment, 5,000 tons have been earmarked for food assistance efforts in Syria.
"This grain transfer operation in Samsun is one of the most vital elements of our mission to end global hunger," said WFP Türkiye Country Director Stephen Cahill. "We view this port as a lifeline for our operations."
Acting Samsun Deputy Governor Kemal Yildiz emphasized the significance of the shipment as a symbol of global solidarity. "Hosting this meaningful operation is a source of great pride for us," he said. "Under the leadership of our President, Türkiye has always stood with the oppressed through both diplomatic initiatives and humanitarian action."
Yildiz also cited the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative as a key example of Türkiye's global role in food security diplomacy.
Cahill noted that WFP’s strategic partnership with Türkiye dates back to before the establishment of its current Türkiye office in 2012. "In the past five years alone, we have procured $1.1 billion worth of food from Türkiye—not for domestic use, but for global humanitarian efforts," he said.
"This operation underlines the importance of humanitarian access, especially in today’s fractured world," Cahill added, citing crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen. "Türkiye acts as a regional peace facilitator, but it cannot do it alone. We need more donor countries to step forward, as they did during the launch of the Black Sea Grain Corridor."
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Aylin Sekizkok, Director General for International Economic Affairs at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, emphasized the alarming scale of global hunger. "Today, over 840 million people face hunger. This is not just a number—it represents real, life-threatening deprivation," she said.
Referring to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, she stated, "Hunger in a world of abundance is a stain on humanity and a severe human rights violation."
Sekizkok underscored Türkiye’s multifaceted contribution to global food security—leveraging its robust agricultural production, sharing sustainable development expertise, and utilizing its advanced logistics capacity to strengthen global supply chains.
Participants at the event boarded the Brave Commander to witness the unloading process, observing how the grain was transferred from the vessel onto trucks bound for WFP’s regional distribution. Officials and representatives from participating countries took commemorative photos to mark the occasion.
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