The European Commission (EC) has allocated 600 million Euro (One Euro=USS1.29 cent) to finance immediate humanitarian food aid, food production and resilience of food systems in the most vulnerable countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP).
“This will help partner countries and vulnerable people to cope with the unjust consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, notably the current food security crisis and related economic shock,” the EC in a statement, adding that the funds are being made available under the European Development Fund (EDF).
“The EU’s swift and comprehensive response to the current food insecurity in several vulnerable partner countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific area demonstrates our strong solidarity towards our partners, in particular in Africa,” said Jutta Urpilainen, the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships.
“It helps shoulder the consequences felt worldwide of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In the short-term, we are helping families with food and nutrition assistance and helping countries to buy the food they need; as part of the Global Gateway strategy, we also work on solutions to address current and future risks by investing in local sustainable food systems to enhance resilience,” Urpilainen added.
Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said the global food insecurity is the EU’s utmost concern.
“Data shows tens of millions more people are facing food shortages compared to an already difficult last year. The Russian invasion of Ukraine dramatically exacerbated the situation for the most vulnerable in the world, who are already facing the consequences of armed conflicts, the effects of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added.
The EC said as part of Team Europe’s Response to Global Food Insecurity, the funding will support people in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, where the humanitarian needs are the highest and where programs to sustainably enhance food security and resilience were identified.
More precisely, the EC said the funding will be allocate 27 million Euro for food production and resilience in the Caribbean.
For emergency food assistance, the EC said 6.5 million Euro will go to Haiti, and three million Euro for Caribbean countries, such as the Dominican Republic.
The EC said a one million Euro transversal component will ensure coordination between the different programs and amplify their impact at the continental and regional level.
The recently published mid-year update of the Global Report on Food Crises estimates that up to 205.1 million people currently face high levels of acute food insecurity in 45 countries covered by the Global Report on Food Crises 2022.
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