Tag: Food Assistance

Anthony Blinken the United States Secretary of State, has said that the US government will provide an additional $215 million emergency food assistance to Nigeria and other African countries.

Blinken assured that Algeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, will also enjoy from the largesse. He informed that America has pledged more than $2.3 billion in food assistance since February to cushion the impact of the Ukrainian war on the benefitting countries. A statement from the US Department of State on Wednesday disclosed that Blinken stated this before a meeting with the foreign affairs ministers of Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, South Africa, Zambia, and Senegal, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has led to global shortage of food and fertilizer due the inability of the two countries to produce and export corn,Rice, Wheat and cooking oil. Recall that Russia had allegedly frozen the export of wheat from Ukraine. The senior US official said, America is addressing the humanitarian needs that arose as a result of the crisis in Russia and Ukraine. “First, we’re addressing the humanitarian needs caused by the war of aggression against Ukraine. Just since February, the United States has pledged more than $2.3 billion of food assistance. And pending final approval from our Congress, we’ll provide more than $5bn in additional aid, including more than $760m specifically for global food security. “Plus, today we’re announcing an additional $215m for emergency food assistance in Algeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya, among other countries.”