Russian companies have been restricted access to the UN World Food Program, Russia’s RBC has reported, citing sources. This move will backfire on the nations of the Global South that face harsh economic challenges.
The restrictions will touch the program of food supplies for the countries that are facing natural or human-made disasters. Russia used to be an active participant of this initiative, providing up to 20% of the World Food Program supplies.
Among key recipients of Russia’s aid were Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine and Central Asian countries. Russian food supplies have been discriminated by the ‘country of production’ principle, the sources reportedly said. In other cases, Russian companies faced backdated quality complaints.
The UN Global Food Program is funded via voluntary donations, which amounted to over $14 billion in 2022. Russia is among top-30 largest donors to the UN food initiative with allocations worth $30.5 million that year.