By KYIV. Nov 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Belgium will add EUR 10 million and France another EUR 6 million to the previously provided $14 million of humanitarian funding for the supply of Ukrainian grain to countries struggling with acute food shortages.
"Mr. President, thank you for choosing this sad day to launch the Grain from Ukraine initiative… as there are countries in the world that are on the verge of the artificial famine. The program will help meet the food needs of so many people in the world, stabilize prices," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said at the International Summit on Food Security in Kyiv on Saturday.
He also expressed sincere condolences to the millions of victims of the Holodomor organized by the Soviet Union 90 years ago.
The Prime Minister of Belgium welcomed the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for another 120 days and called for fighting the Russian disinformation campaign, which is trying to shift the blame for the food crisis in the world to other countries, which is borne exclusively by Russia because of its aggression in Ukraine.
"The Grain from Ukraine program initiated by [President of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelensky makes a big contribution to global food security. Today, I announce an additional EUR 6 million contribution for the transport and distribution of Ukrainian grain by the World Food Programme (WFP) to Yemen and Sudan," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video message at the summit.
He recalled that France had already allocated $14 million to help the UN WFP deliver 25,000 tonnes of wheat donated by Ukraine to Somalia.
Zelensky announced the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program jointly with WFP in the middle of November during his speech to the G19, which provides for the provision of grain to at least 5 million people by the end of spring 2023.
"Its essence is the direct purchase of foodstuffs from Ukrainian producers and its transfer to countries on the verge of starvation by the countries participating in the project," Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office, who ensures the work of the international Coordination Group, said.
Yermak explained that Ukraine decided to direct part of the harvested wheat, which was exported, to purchase for those African countries where hunger problems already exist. According to him, part of the export grain can be bought by the project participating states, thus international partners will be able to simultaneously support the Ukrainian economy in a difficult situation and help poor African countries.
Yermak said that together with the German government and with the support of WFP, the first Nord Vind ship with 27,000 tonnes of wheat went to Ethiopia, which is the amount of food for almost 100,000 people a year. If we extrapolate these figures to 5 million tonnes, then we are talking about the supply from 1.35 million tonnes of grain under the Grain from Ukraine program.
