“Grain From Ukraine” is a humanitarian food program that was launched by President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on November 26, 2022 and presented during the first inaugural International Summit on Food Security in Kyiv.
Under this Initiative Ukraine, partner countries and private sector donors will deliver Ukrainian grain to countries in Africa and Asia that are facing malnutrition and extreme hunger problems. The goal is to provide grain to at least 5 million people by the end of this spring. The Initiative should contribute to overcoming the humanitarian and economic consequences of the global food crisis caused by the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States have already announced their pledges for about $200 million to support this humanitarian program.
Every country, NGO or private company could join the "Grain from Ukraine" initiative. The goal is to raise up to $1 billion and to make an important contribution in meeting urgent humanitarian needs of countries that are currently on the brink of starvation.
The recipients of Ukrainian grain within the framework of this humanitarian program will be countries suffering from food shortages, in particular: Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and others. This year, we plan to send at least 60 ships from Ukrainian ports to countries most affected by the food crisis and that are in need of urgent aid.
The program is implemented in close partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
There are three ambassadors of “Grain from Ukraine” on the African continent that are actively engaged in promoting the Initiative: Dr. Joyce Banda - former President of Malawi, who is currently active in a number of international organizations, including the Executive Committee of UN Women; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh - Regional Director for Central and West Africa Programs at the National Democratic Institute (USA); Dr. Oby Ezekwesili - former Minister of Education of Nigeria and former Vice President of the World Bank, who is currently a Senior Advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative and Regional Director of the National Democratic Institute in Africa.
WFP, together with Ukraine and the donor countries will determine the recipient countries of Ukrainian grain among the countries experiencing the acute problem of food shortages.
As of January 30, 2023 4 vessels with more than 100,000 tons of grain have already left Ukrainian ports to Somalia and Ethiopia.
Donors of the program can transfer their financial contributions to the:
special account of the "Grain from Ukraine" program in Ukraine (will be opened soon);
special WFP account for the "Grain from Ukraine" financing.