Today, during a meeting with the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $362 million in additional assistance through USAID for countries facing severe food insecurity, which has been exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine and Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The funding will strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities by bolstering their capacity to combat malnutrition, reduce morbidity and mortality, promote economic growth, minimize disaster risk, improve food security, and adapt to climate change. This assistance from USAID provides critical multi-sectoral support for countries across Africa, as well as in Haiti.
This funding is vital amid the ongoing global food crisis – fueled by climate shocks, high food, fuel, and fertilizer prices, protracted conflicts. This crisis has been exacerbated by Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine and climate shocks that have disrupted national food systems and led to increased levels of food insecurity. An estimated 205 million people are in dire need of life-saving food assistance and some 768 million people are facing chronic hunger. This funding is part of USAID’s Resilience Food Security Activities, which helps communities withstand future shocks, improving their long-term food security.
Since February 2022, USAID has committed more than $14 billion in humanitarian and development assistance in more than 47 countries around the world. We will continue to work with our partners to reach the most vulnerable around the world with food assistance and call on other countries to step up to meet the immense needs.