Germany, France to aid transport and distribution of Ukraine wheat destined for Somalia and Ethiopia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Germany and France have announced that they will support the transport and distribution of 50,000 tons of wheat from Ukraine destined for Somalia and Ethiopia with 14 million each through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).

A press release by the two European nations said Germany will cover the costs of the delivery to Ethiopia, while France will cover the costs of the delivery to Somalia.

The grain from Ukraine, a country that is currently at war, will enable millions of malnourished people in Somalia and Ethiopia to receive a month’s ration of grain.

According to recent estimates, half of the Somali population is dependent on humanitarian aid while 121,000 people are already in famine. It is also projected that by December, the number will have hit 300,560. In Ethiopia, 24.1 million people are currently affected by drought and more than 20 million are food insecure nationwide.

Germany, through the Federal Foreign Office, has said it has already set aside 126 million euros for humanitarian aid in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya for the year 2022, while France has earmarked Somalia and Ethiopia as the most crucial countries set to benefit from the French food assistance programme under the last installment for 2022.