By Oluwaseun Sonde
United States has announced the provision of over $68 million to support procurement, transport, and storage of up to 150,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat which will address acute food insecurity.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken who disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday, said the provision was made through the USAID’s continued partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP).
He stated that the sum represents the latest in more than $5.4 billion in humanitarian contributions from the United States this fiscal year.
"The purchase of 150,000 metric tons of wheat builds on an initial WFP shipment of 23,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat and will support the humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa, where a historic drought is pushing millions of people to the brink of starvation".
Blinken noted that the resumption of exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is a positive step in addressing the needs of food insecure countries, adding that these shipments must continue so that the millions of tons of food trapped in the country can reach markets and help feed the world’s most vulnerable.
He further said that United States remains committed to supporting global food security in the face of climate change, pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, and armed conflicts, including Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
"We call on all countries to increase humanitarian and development assistance in support of food security efforts and take trade- facilitating actions, such as lifting of export restrictions, to support the free flow of agricultural goods and commodities", he said.
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