In conjunction with remarks at the Food Security Ministerial with the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the intention to provide $5 billion in humanitarian aid funding over the next five years to address food insecurity.
Blinken was in New York City May 18-19 to discuss possible solutions and to mobilize action to aid the growing number of people affected by acute food insecurity, according to a State Department transcript of Blinken's remarks.
“Met with global leaders in NYC this week to address the greatest global food security crisis of our time,” Blinken said in a May 20 post on Twitter. “The Kremlin's unprovoked attack on Ukraine may drive 40 million additional people into extreme poverty and food insecurity this year. This crisis demands a global response.”
Between 2016 and 2021, the number of people living in acute food insecurity increased from 108 million to 161 million, he said, according to the transcript. Russia’s actions in Ukraine were projected to cause an additional 40 million people worldwide to experience extreme poverty and food insecurity this year.
Blinken explained the State Department’s $5 billion in humanitarian will work through the Feed the Future program in more than 35 countries and international agricultural research centers, according to the news release. He said this focus is shared in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate, which the U.S launched a year ago with the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to the more than $5 billion the State Department plans to use over the next five years, Blinken announced the decision to provide another $215 million in emergency food assistance, according to a State Department fact sheet. The U.S. is also working to mitigate food insecurity at a national level. It will fund a $500 million USDA program to boost domestic fertilizer production, the release said.
