Kenya has received 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat from Ukraine to support families affected by drought and famine.

The donation is part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Grain from Ukraine humanitarian programme.

The fifth maize shipment from Ukraine was received on Monday by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, together with Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, member of the International Coordination Group for the Prevention of Hunger (ICGPH), and ambassadors from the donor countries to the programme.

This shipment was supported by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) with financial assistance from the governments of the United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

“This shipment to Kenya cements our ongoing commitment to tackling forced famine across Africa’s most vulnerable nations. While we continue to defend our nation against external aggression, we have not forgotten our humanitarian obligation towards our allies in time of need,” said Andriy Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office and Chairman of the International Coordination Group for the Prevention of Hunger.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, over 5.4 million people in Kenya will likely experience acute food insecurity between March and June this year. Over 970,200 children are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2023.

The #GrainFromUkrain (GfU) programme was launched by President Zelenskyy in November 2022, to provide food assistance to nations affected by the ongoing global food crisis.

Since the beginning of its launch, the programme has delivered over 140,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat to Africa’s struggling nations.

“Several countries across Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia, are facing the worst food crisis in 40 years. Global factors, such as ongoing climate change in Africa, the escalating conflict in Ukraine, inflation around the world and a surge in global food prices, have caused devastating hunger ripples worldwide,” said Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa Programmes at the National Democratic Institute, USA.

“Through the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian programme, we will ensure Ukrainian grain is provided to people in need, so as to tackle forced famine across Africa and the world.”

Ukraine continues to play a key role in global food security amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. The country, which mainly grows and exports wheat, corn and barley is one of the world’s major grain producers.

• A Capital News report