Grain from Ukraine: Summit participants approve $44 million for program
Photo: The 3rd International Food Security Summit “Grain from Ukraine” was held in Kyiv on November 23 (mfa.gov.ua)
The participant states of the Third International Food Security Summit have agreed to continue funding the Ukrainian initiative Grain from Ukraine. Approximately $44 million will be allocated to this program, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The summit, held in Kyiv on November 23 — Ukraine's Holodomor Memorial Day — was part of the humanitarian program Grain from Ukraine. It brought together global leaders, ministers, representatives of international organizations, and leading experts.
“Following the summit, the participating countries announced further financial support for the Grain from Ukraine program, totaling about $44 million,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
Presentation of achievements, joint declaration, and discussion of Russian strikes
The summit presented the achievements of the Grain from Ukraine program, among other topics. To date, Ukraine has delivered over 286,000 tons of food aid to vulnerable populations in Africa.
A Joint Declaration was also adopted, outlining commitments and setting the "foundation for further actions by the global community aimed at combating hunger, supporting vulnerable populations, promoting sustainable agricultural development, and ensuring projects aimed at investing in the health of future generations."
"A separate topic of the event was Russia's ongoing aggression, which has caused significant damage to Ukraine's agricultural sector and greatly impacted the global food market," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
According to the ministry, summit participants emphasized that targeted attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure and grain storage facilities, along with the blockade of grain shipments, threaten food security for millions of people worldwide.
International Food Security Summit
The event, traditionally held in Ukraine's capital at the end of November, marked the third summit. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this year’s summit focused on "developing sustainable food systems and strengthening the health of future generations through school nutrition reforms, with expertise and resources Ukraine is ready to share."
The ministry also added that the summit serves as an important platform for fostering international cooperation to ensure food deliveries to countries suffering from hunger, as well as for discussing ways to address global challenges in food security.
The first summit, in 2022, launched President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Grain from Ukraine initiative to support countries affected by hunger.
The second summit, in 2023, focused on unblocking food supply routes and ensuring the uninterrupted export of grain from Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy stated that the Grain from Ukraine initiative has saved about 20 million people from hunger. The president added that the program is successfully operating and will expand.
