Following the EU decision to allocate money for food security in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries , Ugx37B has been allocated to Uganda to finance food aid, food production and resilience of food systems in the country.
According to the EU, the new support fund will help partner countries and vulnerable people to cope with the unjust consequences of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, notably the current food security crisis and related economic shock.
The EU commissioner for International Partnership Jutta Urpilainen said that the EU’s swift and comprehensive response to the current food insecurity in several vulnerable partner countries is a sign of solidarity with Africa.
“The EU’s swift and comprehensive response to the current food insecurity in several vulnerable partner countries of the ACP in particular area demonstrates our strong solidarity toward our partners, in particular in Africa. It helps shoulder the consequences felt worldwide of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” she said.
The commissioner said that in the short-term they will help families with food and nutrition assistance. She also said that by helping countries to buy the food they need; as part of the global gateway strategy, they also work on solutions to address current and future risks by investing in local sustainable food systems to enhance resilience.
The EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, said that the global food insecurity is EU’s utmost concern.
Lenarcic said that the newly allocated fund will help those in dire situations meet their emergency food needs. He added that the EU remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable.
However, he also mentioned that humanitarian aid cannot substitute efforts needed to increase the resilience of the most vulnerable populations and sustainable development-oriented solutions.
The decision to redirect 600M Euros to food security in ACP countries was announced by European Commission President Von der Leyen in June 2022 and the allocation received a green light from EU Member States last month.
The donation will help in curbing the extreme hunger in Karamoja which is currently facing the devastating consequences of drought and considering the increased refugees from Congo that need to be fed, the assistance from EU comes in handy.
