• TheBiden administration will use $282 million to bolster existing emergency food operations in six countries facing severe food insecurity
• The available estimates show that Russia's actions might force an extra 40 million people into poverty and food insecurity
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide $670 million in food assistance to nations in need in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to a statement from the agency, the USAID will use $282 million from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust to "bolster existing emergency food operations in six countries facing severe food insecurity: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen.”
“Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine, a fellow major agricultural export country, is driving food and energy costs higher for people around the world,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, in a statement.
“America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers are uniquely positioned through their productivity, and through the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, to help directly feed those around the world impacted by these challenges.”
In addition to the trust funds, the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation program will provide $388 million to cover transportation, shipping, and related costs. This is the first time the US government has invoked such emergency financial power for food relief since 2014.
The USDA official said the farm goods will reach their designated destinations in roughly three months.
The current estimates show that Russia's actions might force an extra 40 million people into poverty and food insecurity.
Russia and Ukraine together account for over a quarter of global wheat exports.
“In Ukraine, which provides 10 percent of the world's wheat, farmers are struggling to plant and harvest their crops for fear of shelling and Russian landmines…” said USAID Administrator Samantha Power. “Putin's decision to wage a senseless and brutal war against a peaceful neighbor is leading to a staggering global food crisis.”
Picture Credits: Reuters
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