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Rome/New York, August 16 – A ship chartered by the World Food Program (WFP) is bringing the first humanitarian cargo of 23,000 metric tons of Ukraine’s wheat grain to Ethiopia, a milestone achievement in the global efforts to fight high food prices since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

The UN-chartered MV Brave Commander has left Ukraine’s Yuzhny (Pivdennyi) Port in Odesa as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The UN established a Joint Coordination Center on July 27 to begin exporting millions of tons of Ukraine’s grains and foods and Russian fertilizers which had been blocked since the war broke out on February 24 this year.

In New York, a UN spokesman said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend a meeting in Kyiv on August 18 with Turkeye’s President Recept Tayyip Erdogan at the invitation of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“The Secretary-General will then go on to Odesa, where he will visit the port that is one of the three being used as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” Stephane Dujarric said.  

“Before returning to New York over the weekend, the Secretary-General will be in Istanbul to visit the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) set up to implement the initiative. This initiative is part of a deal that also includes the facilitation of Russian grain and fertilizer exports on to the global market.”    

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said, “Getting the Black Sea Ports open is the single most important thing we can do right now to help the world’s hungry. It will take more than grain ships out of Ukraine to stop world hunger, but with Ukrainian grain back on global markets we have a chance to stop this global food crisis from spiraling even further.”

WFP said in a news release that the shipment to Ethiopia is part of its humanitarian response to the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

It said a record 345 million people in 82 countries are now facing acute food insecurity while up to 50 million people in 45 countries are right on the edge of famine and risk being tipped over without humanitarian support.

Since the JCC began its operations in Istanbul on July 27, it has authorized a total 21 outbound and 15 inbound ships through what is known as a maritime humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea, which allows safe exports of Ukraine’s grains and Russian fertilizers.

Countries that have received those commercial shipments so far included Türkiye, South Korea, China, Ireland, Italy, Djibouti and Romania.

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By J. Tuyet Nguyen

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Oslo/New York, August 9 – The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has won the 2022 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, which is worth $2.5 million, for its work in advocating for displaced people who are seeking a future, including support provided to 10 million people in 2021.

The Hilton Foundation (see Conrad N. Hilton Foundation) said in a news release that it has to date awarded more than $41 million to recipients of the prize. It is also the world’s largest annual humanitarian award presented to a non-profit which recognizes extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering.

The NRC now has joined the roster of 26 Prize Laureates, including CAMFED, Homeboy Industries, METAdrasi, SHOFCO, icddr,b and The Task Force for Global Health, among others.  the world’s largest annual humanitarian award presented to a non-profit which recognizes extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering.

(From the news release)

Peter Laugharn, president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, said: “The Norwegian Refugee Council’s work is imperative right now in terms of the organization’s ability to reach people in the most difficult of circumstances, and to do so at scale. The Jury’s selection of the Norwegian Refugee Council as the recipient of the 2022 Hilton Humanitarian Prize recognizes the importance of advocating for displaced people as they build a new future.”

On the award, Jan Egeland, Secretary General of NRC, said: “We are honored to receive this prestigious humanitarian prize at a time when we are challenged like never before in reaching, aiding and protecting people forced to flee war and repression. We are witnessing one devastating crisis on top of the other, authoritarian regimes and brutal armed actors trying to block our access to those in need and donor purse strings being tightened, leaving aid budgets decimated. This makes the support and recognition from private sector donors such as the Hilton Foundation vital. The world’s displaced must not be overlooked or forgotten.”

Since its foundation in 1946, NRC has effectively and courageously protected the rights of people who are displaced by violence and find themselves in extreme vulnerability during crisis.

NRC works for civilians in armed conflict, prioritizing neglected and hard-to-reach areas where access to assistance is limited, and increasingly supports people displaced by natural disasters, the adverse effects of climate change and generalized violence. The organization listens to people in need and collaborates with local organizations and communities to deliver a response that is solutions-orientated and tailored to the context.

NRC works in more than 35 countries around the world facing both new and protracted humanitarian crises. This year alone, the organization has mobilized efforts after the earthquake in Afghanistan, during the war in Ukraine and the deepening drought in Somalia to name a few. In 2021, NRC supported 10 million people worldwide. NRC’s work is driven by the needs of displaced people.

Each year, the Hilton Foundation reviews nomination submissions from non-profits throughout the world, and an independent, international panel of distinguished jurors makes the final selection after a rigorous vetting process.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: “Awarding the 2022 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to the Norwegian Refugee Council is a recognition of their outstanding work with a wide range of stakeholders to ease human suffering. The United Nations values the long experience, skills and networks that the NRC brings to the table, as we work closely together to meet the needs of refugees and displaced people around the world.”

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “I congratulate the Norwegian Refugee Council on winning this year’s Hilton Humanitarian Prize. A long-standing and important partner of UNHCR, NRC is always on the front lines of crises, assisting refugees and other displaced people and making a critical difference to their lives. In a world where more than 100 million people are forced from their homes due to violence and persecution, I am happy to see that the tangible results of NRC’s work are recognised with this important prize.”
•    More information about NRC can be found here.
•    More information about the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation can be found here.

For inquiries, please contact:
•    Norwegian Refugee Council: 
Jessica Wanless, Global Media Adviser, jessica.wanless@nrc.no, +47 901 67 022. 
Media Hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 90562329

•    Conrad N. Hilton Foundation:
Cara Tripicchio and Marla Farrell, HiltonPrizeTeam@shelterpr.com
 

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SEE ANNOUNCEMENT: 2022 UN CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION AWARDS FOR BEST JOURNALISTIC COVERAGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND UN AGENCIES – WINNERS WILL BE HONORED BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL H.E. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES – DECEMBER 2022 (DATE TBD) IN NEW YORK – ( See Announcement )

New York, December 8 – The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) held its 25th anniversary of the UNCA Awards for best print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online, web-based media coverage of COVID-19, climate change and the United Nations, UN agencies and field operations.

While the UNCA Awards 25th anniversary was put on hold in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year UNCA returned to hosting the annual event in December, honoring excellence in journalism around the globe.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message to the event that the pandemic “reminded us yet again that free and independent journalism is essential to peace, justice, and human rights for all – and the greatest weapon to combat misinformation and disinformation. No society can flourish if its media landscape withers under an onslaught of repression, harassment and other pressures.”

“Today and every day, the United Nations is committed to stand with you in defense of press freedom,” he said.

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New York, July 11 – Despite a deep drop in fertility rates to below 1 per cent in 2020 and after a period of slowest population growth since 1950, the global population is projected to reach 8 billion by mid-November this year and grow to 8.5 billion in 2030, the United Nations said in World Population Prospects 2022.

India and China are the world’s most populous countries with over 1.4 billion each in 2022, but India’s population will surpass that number during 2023, the new report said. It said the rates of population growth vary significantly across countries and regions. India and China accounted for most of the population in Asia in 2022: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population), and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).

For more information: https://bit.ly/3Hqihke

The report said more than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Populations of Australia and New Zealand, Northern Africa and Western Asia, and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) are expected to experience slower growth through the end of the century. The populations of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Central and Southern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Northern America are projected to reach their peak size and to begin to decline before 2100.

The 46 least developed countries (LDCs) are among the world’s fastest growing. Many are projected to double in population between 2022 and 2050.

Following is a press release from United Nations, Department of Global Communications

World population to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022

Amid falling growth rates, global population projected to peak around 10.4 billion in the 2080s

New York, 11 July – The global population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, and India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, according to World Population Prospects 2022, released today on World Population Day.

“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.  “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” he added.

The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020. The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.

World Population Prospects 2022 also states that fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality. The populations of 61 countries or areas are projected to decrease by 1 per cent or more between 2022 and 2050, owing to sustained low levels of fertility and, in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.

More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania. Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050.

“The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional” said Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty, combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and education systems more difficult. Conversely, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will contribute to reducing fertility levels and slowing global population growth.”

In most countries of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, the share of population at working age (between 25 and 64 years) has been increasing thanks to recent reductions in fertility. This shift in the age distribution provides a time-bound opportunity for accelerated economic growth per capita, known as the “demographic dividend”. To maximize the potential benefits of a favourable age distribution, countries should invest in the further development of their human capital by ensuring access to health care and quality education at all ages and by promoting opportunities for productive employment and decent work.

The share of global population at ages 65 and above is projected to rise from 10 per cent in 2022 to 16 per cent in 2050. At that point, it is expected that the number of persons aged 65 years or over worldwide will be more than twice the number of children under age 5 and about the same as the number under age 12. Countries with ageing populations should take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing numbers of older persons, including by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems and by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems.

Global life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2019, an improvement of almost 9 years since 1990. Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average global longevity of around 77.2 years in 2050. Yet in 2021, life expectancy for the least developed countries lagged 7 years behind the global average.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all three components of population change. Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71.0 years in 2021. In some countries, successive waves of the pandemic may have produced short-term reductions in numbers of pregnancies and births, while for many other countries, there is little evidence of an impact on fertility levels or trends. The pandemic severely restricted all forms of human mobility, including international migration.

“Further actions by Governments aimed at reducing fertility would have little impact on the pace of population growth between now and mid-century, because of the youthful age structure of today’s global population. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of lower fertility, if maintained over several decades, could be a more substantial deceleration of global population growth in the second half of the century,” added John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Hqihke

Media contacts:

Sharon Birch

United Nations Department of Global Communications birchs@un.org

            Bela Hovy United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs hovy@un.org

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The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition report shows the world is moving backwards in efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. Following is a news release jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Rome/New York, July 6 – The number of people affected by hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (1), according to a United Nations report that provides fresh evidence that the world is moving further away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030.

The 2022 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report presents updates on the food security and nutrition situation around the world, including the latest estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet. The report also looks at ways in which governments can repurpose their current support to agriculture to reduce the cost of healthy diets, mindful of the limited public resources available in many parts of the world.

The numbers paint a grim picture:

As many as 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021 – 46 million people more from a year earlier and 150 million more from 2019.

After remaining relatively unchanged since 2015, the proportion of people affected by hunger jumped in 2020 and continued to rise in 2021, to 9.8 percent of the world population. This compares with 8 percent in 2019 and 9.3 percent in 2020.

·      Around 2.3 billion people in the world (29.3 percent) were moderately or severely food insecure in 2021 – 350 million more compared to before the outbreak of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Nearly 924 million people (11.7 percent of the global population) faced food insecurity at severe levels, an increase of 207 million in two years.

·      The gender gap in food insecurity continued to rise in 2021 – 31.9 percent of women in the world were moderately or severely food insecure, compared to 27.6 percent of men – a gap of more than 4 percentage points, compared with 3 percentage points in 2020.

·      Almost 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, up 112 million from 2019, reflecting the effects of inflation in consumer food prices stemming from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to contain it.

An estimated 45 million children under the age of five were suffering from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition, which increases children’s risk of death by up to 12 times. Furthermore, 149 million children under the age of five had stunted growth and development due to a chronic lack of essential nutrients in their diets, while 39 million were overweight.

Progress is being made on exclusive breastfeeding, with nearly 44 percent of infants under six months of age being exclusively breastfed worldwide in 2020. This is still short of the 50 percent target by 2030. Of great concern, two in three children are not fed the minimum diverse diet they need to grow and develop to their full potential.

Looking forward, projections are that nearly 670 million people (8 percent of the world population) will still be facing hunger in 2030 – even if a global economic recovery is taken into consideration. This is a similar number to 2015, when the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition by the end of this decade was launched under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As this report is being published, the ongoing war in Ukraine, involving two of the biggest global producers of staple cereals, oilseeds and fertilizer, is disrupting international supply chains and pushing up the prices of grain, fertilizer, energy, as well as ready-to-use therapeutic food for children with severe malnutrition. This comes as supply chains are already being adversely affected by increasingly frequent extreme climate events, especially in low-income countries, and has potentially sobering implications for global food security and nutrition.

“This report repeatedly highlights the intensification of these major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition: conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities,” the heads of the five UN agencies (2) wrote in this year’s Foreword. “The issue at stake is not whether adversities will continue to occur or not, but how we must take bolder action to build resilience against future shocks.”

Repurposing agricultural policies

The report notes as striking that worldwide support for the food and agricultural sector averaged almost USD 630 billion a year between 2013 and 2018. The lion share of it goes to individual farmers, through trade and market policies and fiscal subsidies. However, not only is much of this support market-distorting, but it is not reaching many farmers, hurts the environment and does not promote the production of nutritious foods that make up a healthy diet. That’s in part because subsidies often target the production of staple foods, dairy and other animal source foods, especially in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Rice, sugar and meats of various types are most incentivized food items worldwide, while fruits and vegetables are relatively less supported, particularly in some low-income countries.

With the threats of a global recession looming, and the implications this has on public revenues and expenditures, a way to support economic recovery involves the repurposing of food and agricultural support to target nutritious foods where per capita consumption does not yet match the recommended levels for healthy diets.

The evidence suggests that if governments repurpose the resources they are using to incentivize the production, supply and consumption of nutritious foods, they will contribute to making healthy diets less costly, more affordable and equitably for all.

Finally, the report also points out that governments could do more to reduce trade barriers for nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables and pulses.

(1) It is estimated that between 702 and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021. The estimate is presented as a range to reflect the added uncertainty in data collection due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. The increases are measured with reference to the middle of the projected range (768 million).

(2) For FAO – QU Dongyu, Director-General; for IFAD – Gilbert F. Houngbo, President; for UNICEF – Catherine Russell, Executive Director; for WFP – David Beasley, Executive Director; for WHO – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General.

What they said:

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu: “Low-income countries, where agriculture is key to the economy, jobs and rural livelihoods, have little public resources to repurpose. FAO is committed to continue working together with these countries to explore opportunities for increasing the provision of public services for all actors across agrifood systems.”

IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo: “These are depressing figures for humanity. We continue to move away from our goal of ending hunger by 2030. The ripple effects of the global food crisis will most likely worsen the outcome again next year. We need a more intense approach to end hunger and IFAD stands ready to do its part by scaling up its operations and impact. We look forward to having everyone’s support.”

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell: “The unprecedented scale of the malnutrition crisis demands an unprecedented response. We must double our efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable children have access to nutritious, safe, and affordable diets — and services for the early prevention, detection and treatment of malnutrition. With so many children’s lives and futures at stake, this is the time to step up our ambition for child nutrition – and we have no time to waste.”

WFP Executive Director David Beasley: “There is a real danger these numbers will climb even higher in the months ahead. The global price spikes in food, fuel and fertilizers that we are seeing as a result of the crisis in Ukraine threaten to push countries around the world into famine. The result will be global destabilization, starvation, and mass migration on an unprecedented scale. We have to act today to avert this looming catastrophe.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Every year, 11 million people die due to unhealthy diets. Rising food prices mean this will only get worse.  WHO supports countries’ efforts to improve food systems through taxing unhealthy foods and subsidising healthy options, protecting children from harmful marketing, and ensuring clear nutrition labels. We must work together to achieve the 2030 global nutrition targets, to fight hunger and malnutrition, and to ensure that food is a source of health for all.”

GLOSSARY

—Acute food insecurity: food insecurity found in a specified area at a specific point in time and of a severity that threatens lives or livelihoods, or both, regardless of the causes, context or duration. Has relevance in providing strategic guidance to actions that focus on short-term objectives to prevent, mitigate or decrease severe food insecurity.

—Hunger: an uncomfortable or painful sensation caused by insufficient energy from diet. Food deprivation. In this report, the term hunger is synonymous with chronic undernourishment and is measured by the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU).

–Malnutrition: an abnormal physiological condition caused by inadequate, unbalanced or excessive intake of macronutrients and/or micronutrients. Malnutrition includes undernutrition (child stunting and wasting, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies) as well as overweight and obesity.

–Moderate food insecurity: a level of severity of food insecurity at which people face uncertainties about their ability to obtain food and have been forced to reduce, at times during the year, the quality and/or quantity of food they consume due to lack of money or other resources. It refers to a lack of consistent access to food, which diminishes dietary quality and disrupts normal eating patterns. Measured based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale.

–Severe food insecurity: a level of severity of food insecurity at which, at some time during the year, people have run out of food, experienced hunger and at the most extreme, gone without food for a day or more. Measured based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale.

–Undernourishment: a condition in which an individual’s habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the amount of dietary energy required to maintain a normal, active, healthy life. The prevalence of undernourishment is used to measure hunger (SDG indicator 2.1.1).
Contacts:

FAO

Nicholas Rigillo, Communication Officer, nicholas.rigillo@fao.org

WHO

Jin Ni, Communications Officer,

+41 (0)79 791 9098,

jinn@who.int

UNICEF

Helen Wylie, Communication Specialist

+1 917 244 2215

hwylie@unicef.org

IFAD

Alberto Trillo Barca, Communication Officer

a.trillobarca@ifad.org
+39 366 576 3706

WFP

Isheeta Sumra, Communications Officer

isheeta.sumra@wfp.org

+39 347 181 4398

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New York, June 30 – The UN General Assembly has adopted a political declaration committing member states to set up policies that will halve the annual number of 1.3 million people killed and 50 million who suffered critical injuries in road traffic accidents by 2030.

The UN said road traffic accidents have become a major mortality cause for people aged 5 to 29 and developing countries are losing 2 to 5 per cent of GDP every year to those accidents.

The 193-nation assembly adopted by consensus the declaration following a high-level debate on global road safety, calling on countries worldwide to set up “national targets to reduce fatalities and serious injuries for all road users with special attention given to the safety needs of those road users who are the most vulnerable to road-related crashes.”

Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th assembly session, said the global plan is “key to reducing deaths and boosting development” and it makes “the best use of our investments in safe transport systems, and aims to halve preventable deaths by 2030.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in an address to the assembly that road fatalities are “closely linked to poor infrastructure, unplanned urbanization, lax social protection and health care systems, limited road safety literacy, and persistent inequalities both within and between countries. At the same time, unsafe roads are a key obstacle to development.”

“Traffic accidents can push entire families into poverty through either the loss of a breadwinner or the costs associated with lost income and prolonged medical care.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) called the political declaration a milestone in efforts to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.

“Road safety affects everyone. We step from our homes every day onto roads that take us to our jobs, schools and to meet our vital daily needs. Yet our transport systems remain far too dangerous. No death should be acceptable on our roads. The future of mobility should promote health and well-being, protect the environment and benefit all,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “It will require transformative leadership from the highest levels of government to act on the Political Declaration to make that vision a reality.”

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Schloss Elmau, Germany/New York, June 24 – Despite the Ukraine war, an effective solution to the current world’s food crisis requires the reintegration into world markets of food produced by Ukraine as well as Russia’s food and fertilizers, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a summit meeting of the world’s most industrialized nations (G7) in Germany.

Guterres said he has been in “intense contact” with governments in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States, the European Union and other countries to reopen Black Sea ports so wheat produced in Ukraine and Russia, and Russian fertilizers, can be shipped to countries that need those products.

“This is not just a food crisis,” Guterres said in a video link to the G7 summit The Uniting For Global Food Security Conference.“It goes beyond food and requires a coordinated multilateral approach, with multi-dimensional solutions.”

The G7 is composed of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada.

Guterres said hundreds of millions of people on the poverty line have been crushed by the crisis as a result of the pandemic, climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine and warned of a real risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022 and “2023 could be even worse.”

“Developed countries and international financial institutions need to make resources available to help governments support and invest in their people, leaving no one behind,” he said. “Developing countries that face debt default must have access to effective debt relief to keep their economies afloat and their people thriving. Financial institutions must find the flexibility and understanding to get resources where they are needed most.”

US supports UN-led efforts in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the summit that more countries should step up with new substantial contributions to meet urgent humanitarian needs. 

“The work of critical organizations like the World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization – their cost of doing business has gone up dramatically.  We need to help them fill some of these gaps,”  Blinken said.

He said since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 this year the United States has committed nearly $2.8 billion in emergency food assistance, including increasing our aid to countries and regions that were the hardest hit – in the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Lebanon, Haiti. 

“We have $5.5 billion in new funding for global food security and humanitarian assistance approved last month by the United States Congress,” Blinken said.  “We’ll be able to do even more in the weeks and months ahead, and you can expect further announcements of our additional support soon, including from the President at the G7 meeting.”

“We have to accelerate efforts led by the United Nations to end Russia’s blocking of Ukrainian food exports through the Black Sea,” he said.

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