The IMF and other global institutions said in a recent joint statement on food security that governments and donors must step up support for the most vulnerable, facilitate trade and market functioning, and abandon harmful subsidies.
“More concerted action across these three key areas is needed to prevent a prolonged crisis,” the heads of the FAO, IMF, World Bank, World Food Programme and World Trade Organization said in a Feb. 8 statement, their third since July on the global food and nutrition security crisis.
The IMF's new Food Shock Window has so far supported Guinea, Haiti, Malawi, and Ukraine. In addition, nine countries facing acute food insecurity benefited from IMF financial support through new or existing programs, with a focus on strengthening social safety nets and policies to help address the impact of the food crisis.