PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S. — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently bought 200,000 tonnes of soft white wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest for shipment to Yemen. The wheat, which will be distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), is expected to be enough to feed 7 million people in the war-torn country for two months, according to an article in the Capital Press.

Stephen Anderson, Yemen country leader for the WFP, told people gathered at an Aug. 10 press conference outside the Albers Mills in Portland that the wheat will provide relief to Yemen, where nearly 18 million people require emergency food assistance.

“We’re doing our best to get food assistance to those people who need it most,” Anderson said. “The situation in Yemen unfortunately does not show signs of improvement right now.”

According to the Capital Press, USAID has spent more than $550 million on emergency food assistance to Yemen since the beginning of fiscal 2017. During that time the United States has sent the country wheat, peas, vegetable oil and food vouchers.