The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has revealed that Ukraine has generously donated more than 7,000 tonnes of wheat to feed one million people in Sudan for a month.
This in-kind donation is part of the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ humanitarian initiative launched by Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The shipment arrived in the coastal city of Port Sudan and was loaded onto WFP trucks for immediate emergency food distribution.
The UN agency is working around the clock to urgently deliver critical food assistance to families who are struggling with skyrocketing food insecurity in the midst of fighting between rival military forces in Sudan, which has now entered its 10th month.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic, and the WFP is racing against time to prevent it from spiraling further out of control.
The staff is working tirelessly to get food assistance into the hands of families that need it as quickly as possible.
The 7,600 tonnes of wheat flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs.
This shipment was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office, which covered the entire €15 million operating costs, including the transportation of the wheat from Ukraine to Sudan and the implementation and distribution within the country.
The timing of this shipment is crucial, as fighting continues to spread ahead of the lean season in May, when food typically becomes scarcer, and hunger rises.
Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Country Director in Sudan, expressed gratitude to Ukraine and Germany for supporting the Sudanese people in their greatest hour of need.
Germany is WFP’s second-largest donor and has been a steadfast supporter of its lifesaving work in Sudan.
Last year, the German Government provided nearly €30 million to WFP operations in Sudan, ensuring vital food assistance reaches people trapped by conflict.
WFP has been warning of a looming hunger catastrophe in the country as the lean season approaches.
Currently, nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, of which nearly five million are in emergency levels of hunger.
The UN agency has provided emergency food and nutrition support to around seven million people since the conflict began last April, yet needs continue to grow.
The shipment of wheat flour from Ukraine will provide urgent and necessary relief to the Sudanese people during this time of crisis.
