WFP: We Need $23 Bln to Address Biggest Food Security Crisis

WFP: We Need $23 Bln to Address Biggest Food Security Crisis

Confronting the “biggest food security crisis” in modern history requires $23 billion to help around 150 million people in 2023, revealed an official at the UN’s food assistance organization, the World Food Program (WFP).

Corinne Fleischer, regional director for the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe for the WFP, affirmed that her organization had succeeded in helping 158 million people in 2022.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Fleischer reminded that Saudi Arabia ranks fifth on the list of the five largest WFP donors in the region, noting that the organization relies on the Kingdom’s continuous support to achieve its goals inside and outside the region.

As for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal allowing the export of Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea, Fleischer revealed that it had facilitated the shipping of more than 23 million tons of food products in eight months.

Furthermore, she warned that the conflict in Ukraine had disrupted the global food and energy markets and led to a rise in food and fuel prices, exposing millions to hunger.

Historic Relations with Saudi Arabia

The WFP’s partnership with Saudi Arabia dates to more than 45 years ago, revealed Fleischer, adding that the Kingdom had offered the program a steeply generous grant