Biden set to announce $2.9 billion in meals safety at UN

President Joe Biden will announce $2.9 billion in extra US funding to fight world meals insecurity when he speaks to world leaders on the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, the White House mentioned.

The new cash builds on $6.9 billion in US meals safety funding already dedicated this yr, the White House mentioned. Biden can also be anticipated to ship a rebuke of Russia’s warfare in Ukraine when he offers a speech on the United Nations in New York.

The United States has strengthened its give attention to meals safety since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine worsened a worldwide meals disaster that was already fueled by local weather change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Russia and Ukraine are main grain and fertilizer exporters and shipments had been disrupted by the warfare.

The United Nations has mentioned the battle has pushed one other 47 million folks into “acute hunger.”

Biden’s announcement comes because the United States and Western allies compete with Russia for diplomatic affect. The United States has acknowledged that some nations are involved the Ukraine warfare had drawn world consideration away from different crises.

“This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium to long term food security assistance in order to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis,” the White House mentioned in a truth sheet.