President Joseph R. Biden announced over $2.9 billion in new assistance from the U.S. government, including $2.14 billion in new USAID commitments, to address the short and long-term effects of the global food crisis.
He made the announcements during remarks at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Food security on a global scale and food systems are at a turning point. High energy, food, and fertilizer costs, protracted conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the combined effects of the global pandemic and these factors have all contributed to a dramatic rise in global food insecurity, especially for the most marginalized communities in the Global South.
Due to the exceptional drought, the Horn of Africa is currently experiencing the world’s worst food crisis. More than 7 million people in Somalia are suffering from famine, and many of them are on the verge of starvation. For the second time in a little more than ten years, the nation is on the verge of famine.
