The European Commission announced on Monday, ahead of the G20 summit in Indonesia on Tuesday and Wednesday, that it was earmarking an additional €210 million for humanitarian aid to 15 countries facing food insecurity or at risk of famine.
The food assistance is provided by funding UN agencies and international organisations active on the ground.
The additional funding will increase the EU’s humanitarian food aid budget by around 55% compared to last year, says the European executive.
In 2022, food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels, both in terms of scale and severity, with at least 205 million people acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance, the European executive said.
The situation follows an “alarming trend” over the past five years, aggravated by conflict, economic shocks (including those linked to the Covid-19 pandemic) and climate change, and is exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commission adds.
A large part of the supplementary budget announced on Monday is earmarked for Africa – mainly Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia – but Afghanistan is also a focus, with €75 million earmarked to try to help its “estimated 24 million people in need.”
Yemen (€35 million) and Syria (€15) are also among the beneficiaries.
