Germany donates €40m to fund UN projects in 3 countries

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced Monday that it had received 40 million euros from Germany to help make farmers and fishers more resilient against threats from major events like the coronavirus pandemic and extreme weather, reported Xinhua.

The funding, which was provided by KfW, Germany's main development bank, will be used to "build the resilience of resource-poor producers, pastoralists and fishers in three of the world's most food-insecure countries."

In specific, the donation will be focused on funding UN projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Yemen.

According to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, the donation "will help FAO make a difference in communities that have been severely tested by shocks and uncertainties, empowering farmers to cope with future challenges and building better lives for themselves and their families."

Guenther Braeunig, chief executive of the KfW, said the institution was "proud to deepen [its] cooperation with FAO in these countries and in collaboration with other UN partners. These programs aim to develop sustainably while strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable, as well as that of local structures."

Efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Yemen are part of a wider UN effort to help make food producers in developing countries better prepared to withstand the impacts of crisis events.