UNITED States (US) President Joe Biden and the G7 leaders are set to announce more than US$4.5 bil in aid to address global food security, with over half from the US.
According to a statement by the White House, Biden will unveil US$2.76 bil in additional US government funding to help protect the world’s most vulnerable populations and mitigate the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine amid growing food insecurity and malnutrition.
While US$2 bil will be directed toward emergency interventions, the remaining US$760 mil will be used for sustainable near-term food assistance to help mitigate poverty, hunger and malnutrition in vulnerable countries that are affected by high food prices, fertiliser and fuel.
The investments aim to support efforts in more than 47 countries and regional organisations by tackling fertiliser shortages and purchasing resilient seeds.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will programme US$640 mil to support bilateral targetted agriculture and food security programmes to strengthen agricultural capacity and resilience in more than 40 countries – 24 in Africa, 10 in Asia and six each in Latin America and the Middle East.
The White House noted that the US has provided US$2.8 bil for emergency food operations in countries that are affected by the food crisis since the beginning of the war. – June 29, 2022
