Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary, has praised the work of a charity providing meals for Ukrainians during her visit to Warsaw.
On Monday Yellen went to the World Central Kitchen in Warsaw, an organisation that organises meals in conflict zones.
The World Central Kitchen has set up multiple sites across Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia, as well as in liberated cities in Ukraine, to deliver meals for refugees.
“I, like many, deeply appreciate the fact that World Central Kitchen stands up for communities reeling from a catastrophe and often lacking the basic infrastructure to cook or deliver meals,” she said. “And we know that the nourishment provided is not just physical, but also helps create a sense of safety and normality at times of extreme stress and uncertainty.”
Yellen added that she was aware of the work done by the governments of Poland and neighbouring countries to help Ukraine develop agricultural export opportunities for grains and food and thanked them for responding to “rising food insecurity”, severely exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She added that she had recently convened a meeting of the G7 and G20 countries to call for action by international financial institutions that could address food insecurity issues. One of the goals of the meeting in Washington, she said, was to come up with a specific plan and pledged to “release the comprehensive IFI Action Plan to address food insecurity” later this week.