China provides emergency food aid to three African countries

The Chinese government, through the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, is cooperating with the World Food Program (WFP) to provide emergency food aid deliveries to three African countries. A launching ceremony of the service was held in Shanghai on Apr 12.

Representatives from the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as envoys of Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in China and representatives of the WFP took part in the event.

In recent years, affected by natural disasters, Ebola and other factors, the food insecurity situation in African countries has worsened, and people in many African countries are facing serious threats of continued famine and malnutrition.

Many countries and the international community have called for emergency humanitarian assistance. To help African countries cope with the food crisis, the Chinese government has cooperated with the WFP to provide emergency food aid to countries such as Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund.

When African friends need it the most, China lends a helping hand in time to fully demonstrate its firm determination to practice the concept of “true and sincere” and demonstrate the right approach to justice and interests, said Tian Lin, director of the CIDCA's Department of International Cooperation.

China’s assistance reflects the brotherhood of the people of China and Africa, and is also important in implementing the outcome of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which emphasized helping African countries achieve food security and sustainable development and building a community of shared destiny for China and Africa, according to Tian.

The envoys expressed their gratitude to the Chinese government for its emergency humanitarian assistance, which is believed to help hundreds of thousands of people facing the threat of hunger and malnutrition in Africa, effectively alleviating the food security crisis. The aid shows China’s deep friendship with Africa, they said.