Русский
The Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa has announced that Russia has donated more than 1,600 tonnes of grain to Ethiopia as part of its ongoing food aid initiative. The donation aims to support refugees in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, where severe financial shortages have left many in need.
The Embassy stated that funding shortages have severely impacted food aid programs in the region, leaving refugees supported by the UN World Food Program (WFP) with only 60% of their daily nutritional needs. The Russian grain donation assists 163,240 refugees. The grain was delivered on Thursday (January 9) at the WFP’s main logistics hub in Adama.
Russia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Yevgeny Terekhin, participated in the event and highlighted the strong historical ties between Russia and Ethiopia. He referenced Soviet humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia during the Great Famine of the late 1980s and reiterated Moscow’s continued commitment to supporting vulnerable populations.
Terekhin said that “We hope that the Russian grain now being transferred will help Ethiopia to support needy populations in drought-affected areas” and thanked WFP staff for their role in transporting and distributing the grain. Ethiopia is a member of BRICS however has been facing a major humanitarian crisis caused by climate shocks, disease outbreaks, conflict and insecurity, aggravated by economic and financial challenges. The country remains amongst the highest concern for the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
Terekhin noted Russia’s overall contributions to the WFP, saying that Russia funds the organization to about US$65 million each year, adding that “This money is used to buy food, including in Russia, which is then delivered to famine hot spots.”
Russia’s humanitarian efforts extend beyond Ethiopia. More than 70 tonnes of sunflower oil were delivered to Port Sudan just before the new year as part of an additional Russian contribution to the UN WFP fund. On December 30, more than 65 tons of wheat arrived at the port of Conakry, in Guinea.
During 2024, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev reported that Russia had successfully delivered 200,000 tons of free wheat to six low-income African nations, making it the biggest humanitarian initiative ever conducted by the country.
Russia’s Uralchem, one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, has donated more than 134,000 tons of fertilizers to African countries free of charge since late 2022. In collaboration with the WFP, over 111,000 tons have been shipped from Russia’s European ports to Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
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