EU mulls tapping unused Africa aid to ease food crisis

THE EU is considering using funds initially destined for development projects in Africa to support countries most exposed to the global food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, EU officials and diplomats said.

Millions of tons of grains are stuck in Ukraine as the ports, from where most food is usually exported, are blockaded because of Russia’s invasion.

The provisional plan, which would allow the disbursement of nearly €600 million (about R10 billion) to boost support to countries most affected by the food emergency, was flagged by the EU Commission in two meetings last week, officials said.

The commission said this was a possibility being discussed, but backing from all 27 EU governments was required. The EU channels development aid to African, Caribbean and

Pacific countries through the European Development Fund (EDF), a facility financed by EU governments. Some of these funds usually go to support agriculture in poorer nations. However, committed resources are not always used in full, an EU official said.

The commission told EU envoys last Wednesday that €577m were potentially available under EDF decommitted funds, and that money could be used to address the global food supplies problems.

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen raised the issue again at a meeting of EU development ministers on Friday, officials said. Ministers backed new initiatives to tackle the global food crisis but did not explicitly support to the use of EDF funds, an official familiar with the discussions said.