UN praises ‘extremely important’ Russian food assistance to Africa
(MENAFN) The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described Russian food aid to Africa as “timely” and “crucially important” in helping communities at risk of famine.
Speaking to TASS on Thursday, Tom Fletcher called the delivery a clear demonstration of Moscow’s generosity and willingness to contribute to humanitarian programs.
At the same time, Fletcher stressed that much more needs to be done to aid those suffering across Africa. Recalling his visit to conflict-stricken Darfur in Sudan, he described meeting people who were “quite literally on the brink of starvation.” He called on the international community to increase its generosity and cooperation in addressing the growing crisis.
Fletcher met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday to discuss OCHA’s operations and the broader humanitarian response. The same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held talks with Ramtane Lamamra, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Sudan, to explore ways to de-escalate the ongoing conflict and achieve a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, a convoy operated by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF was attacked near Al Fashir in North Darfur on Monday evening. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least five Sudanese workers employed by the agencies and injured several others, while numerous trucks were destroyed and vital aid was damaged.
Sudan has been mired in conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. According to Reuters, more than 4 million people have been forced from their homes due to the violence.
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