In 2022, the Federal Republic of Germany will donate billions of euros for humanitarian aid projects. Investments in combating global hunger crises have been particularly keen. A UN representative emphasizes that Germany, together with the USA, is the driving force on this issue.
In view of the escalating numbers of starving people worldwide, Germany has increased its contributions to the UN World Food Program (WFP) in 2022 to more than 1.7 billion euros. “Germany is a driving force in the international fight against hunger,” said Martin Frick, head of the WFP offices in Berlin and Brussels, according to a statement.
Germany’s role is evident not only in its support for WFP programs worldwide, but also through initiatives “that have established hunger as a security policy issue.” The year 2022 showed “how closely food and energy security, conflicts and the climate crisis are interwoven,” Frick continued. “Hunger is a symptom and a cause at the same time and a lever we have to use if we want to break out of this spiral of crisis.”
According to the information, German funds also flowed into humanitarian aid and development cooperation in 2022. For example, WFP supported people from Ukraine at home or in neighboring countries with urgent food aid. German money also enabled WFP to transport and distribute Ukrainian grain after exports from Black Sea ports resumed. Other donations benefited people in East Africa, in the Sahel zone, in Yemen, in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
In 2021, German contributions to the United Nations program amounted to 1.2 billion euros. According to the WFP, the climate crisis, skyrocketing food costs, conflict and the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have pushed the number of people suffering from acute hunger to 349 million. Germany is the second largest donor to the UN World Food Program after the USA.
