UN chief appoints Abdulla of Sudan as coordinator for Black Sea Grain Initiative

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday announced the appointment of Amir Mahmoud Abdulla of Sudan as the world body's coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Abdulla succeeds Frederick Kenney of the United States who was on loan by the International Maritime Organization as interim coordinator for the UN at the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), said a statement issued by the UN chief's press office, according to Xinhua.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched by Ukraine, Türkiye, Russia, and the UN on July 22 to enable the resumption of exports from Ukraine of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizer, including ammonia, through a safe maritime humanitarian corridor.

Under the initiative, the JCC was established on July 27 in Istanbul, Türkiye, to monitor the implementation of the grain shipment from Ukraine.

According to Guterres' press office, Abdulla brings over 30 years of experience in the areas of humanitarian response and management with the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as specialized expertise in emergency operations, supply chain, and security.

From 2009 until June 2022, he served as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of WFP, overseeing its humanitarian operations around the world.

Prior to that, and starting from 1991, he served in various capacities in WFP both in the field and headquarters.

In his earlier career, Abdulla worked at shipping and engineering companies and also taught at the American School and Comboni College in Khartoum.