WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide up to $20 million for the Grain from Ukraine initiative, which recently was extended an additional 120 days.

USAID will provide its support through the UN World Food Program (WFP) and will help facilitate additional shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

The original Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement was brokered in July by the United Nations and Turkey with Ukraine and Russia and set to expire Nov. 19 before the extension was agreed on. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, a blockade prevented the movement of grain through the Black Sea, leading to global food shortages.

The agreement has helped to stabilize spiraling food prices worldwide and provided food to millions of people.

The United States has given $173 million to the WFP to purchase Ukrainian grain. Overall, the United States has provided more than $11 billion for the global food crisis, including $8.6 billion in humanitarian assistance.

USAID also continues to assist Ukraine’s farmers through the Agriculture Resilience Initiative — Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine). It focuses on four areas that are critical to sustain Ukraine’s agricultural exports and its contributions to global food security: providing critical inputs for farmers; improving export logistics and infrastructure; increasing farmers’ access to financing, and supporting crop drying, storage, and processing needs.

USAID has invested $100 million in the initiative, and the agency is seeking to raise at least $150 million in additional funding from fellow donors, foundations, and the private sector.