Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Provides 50,000 Tons of Rice to Six Countries Including Yemen Facing Food Crisis This Year

Continued Food Support for Refugees and Migrants with UN World Food Programme (WFP)
Additional Support for Laos and Syria This Year... "Support Decided for 6 out of 20 Requested Countries"

The situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen. According to the government, as of 2019, about 24 million people, approximately 80% of Yemen's population, are facing a food crisis. (Image source=EPA Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government will provide 50,000 tons of rice as aid to six countries facing food crises this year as well. Since joining the Food Assistance Convention (FAC) in 2018, South Korea has been supporting 50,000 tons of rice annually.

On the 4th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it decided to provide a total of 50,000 tons of rice to Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Laos, and Syria through the World Food Programme (WFP) under the United Nations (UN).

It will support existing recipient countries with 18,000 tons to Yemen, 9,500 tons to Kenya, 4,500 tons to Uganda, and 13,680 tons to Ethiopia. Newly added this year, Laos will receive 3,000 tons, and Syria will receive 1,320 tons as a pilot support.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained, "A total of 300,000 tons of rice support was requested from 20 countries including the six recipient countries, but considering the domestic rice supply and demand situation, this decision was made."

Rice support volume by country in Suwon in 2021. (Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

According to the '2020 Global Food Crisis Report' jointly published last September by 15 international organizations including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WFP, the global population facing food shortages increased more than twofold from 130 million at the end of 2019 to 270 million at the end of last year due to COVID-19.

Because of this, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs decided to advance the entire schedule by one month compared to previous years. Distribution on site is expected to begin from June.

Lee Sang-man, Director of the International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "South Korea is the only exemplary country that has developed from a food aid recipient country to a donor country within one generation," adding, "We will continue to develop food aid projects for developing countries to achieve the UN's goal of ending hunger."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.