The US will commit more than half of the new funding for food security — $2.7 billion — to be financed by the $40 billion Ukraine aid legislation passed by Congress last month, according to the official who requested anonymity to discuss the food security commitment before its formal announcement.
The pledge of $5 billion isn't going to solve the global shortages. The administration official said $2 billion of the U.S. aid would be used for direct humanitarian intervention in areas facing immediate hunger or famine. The food delivery system will be upgraded for the short and medium term, and the rest of the $760 million will be invested, the official said.
One of the issues that remain unresolved is an effort by the United States and its European allies to free Ukrainian grain that is trapped in the country by Russian blockades.
The official stated that finding a way to get the grain into the global food markets was at the top of the priority for Mr. Biden and his counterparts. The official declined to say whether the leaders had settled on a plan to accomplish that goal.