The European Commission has given the green light to €600 million in funding to address the current global food security crisis which it said has been “aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine“.

These funds, drawn from the reserves of the European Development Fund, will support African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

€150 million has been earmarked for humanitarian assistance, €350 million will be directed towards sustainable production and resilience of food systems and €100 million will be used for macro-economic support.

commission ursula withdrawal agreement von der leyen
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen

Announcing the new support measure in Brussels, president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said:

“Russia’s war of aggression is taking a heavy and senseless toll, not only on the Ukrainian population, but also those most vulnerable around the world.

“Russia is still blocking millions of tonnes of desperately needed grain. To help our partners we will mobilise an additional €600 million to avoid a food crisis and an economic shock,” she stated.

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, added:

“Solidarity is at the core of our European Union values. The most vulnerable are facing tremendous suffering with a worsened food crisis following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

“With these additional €600 million, we will strengthen our support to address the crisis, while contributing to sustainable and resilient food systems.”

Prior to the war in Ukraine, close to 193 million people across 53 countries and territories were acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance.

The commission said that Russia’s attack is dramatically worsening the situation.

The proposed funding will now have to be approved by the European Council.