Grain shipments from Russia have covered up to 20% of the annual wheat needs of several African countries, but the need for continued assistance remains. This statement was made by Oleg Kobyakov, Director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) liaison office in Russia, during an interview with TASS.
“This was a timely and effective delivery. According to our estimates, it met between 6% and 20% of the annual wheat needs for these countries. But let's be realistic — almost a year has passed, and that wheat has already been consumed. Unfortunately, the number of hunger hotspots around the world remains unchanged. Therefore, the need for continued food aid, whether through international organizations or bilateral channels, is still pressing,” Kobyakov explained.
He also highlighted Russia’s close collaboration with the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which provides emergency food assistance. “Russia contributes approximately $60–70 million annually to WFP's activities. These funds are used to purchase food, including supplies from Russia, which are then sent to hunger hotspots,” Kobyakov emphasized.
Russia recently completed free grain deliveries to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea, with a total of 200,000 tons of humanitarian grain aid provided.
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Based on TASS materials