US contributes USD 68 mln to UN Food Program to buy Ukrainian wheat: Secretary of State Blinken

Through USAID’s continued partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the U.S. Government will contribute more than USD 68 mln to support the procurement, transport, and storage of up to 150,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat to address acute food insecurity, the statement of the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken says.

"The purchase of 150,000 metric tons of wheat builds on an initial WFP shipment of 23,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat and will support the humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa, where a historic drought is pushing millions of people to the brink of starvation," the statement reads.

It is marked that while the resumption of exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is a positive step in addressing the needs of food insecure countries, these shipments must continue so that the millions of tons of food trapped in the country can reach markets and help feed the world’s most vulnerable.

As of August 11, early crops were collected on 49% of the areas in Ukraine. The average yield stood at 3.81 t/ha.