Originally published at The Crux
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Catholic Relief Services and the US Department of Agriculture announced an agreement on Tuesday to deliver $235 million in emergency food and nutrition aid to Sudan and Ethiopia, two countries especially hard-hit by a hunger crisis affecting at 70 million people across East Africa.
Crux Now exchanged at length with senior officials at both CRS and USDA ahead of the public announcement of the agreement, which involves grants for purchase and delivery of 110,000 metric tons of staple foodstuffs.
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USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Michelle Bekkering, told Crux Now the agreement is designed to reach the people most in need with the highest quality foodstuffs as quickly as possible, in a way that benefits U.S. agricultural producers.
“These agreements are grants,” Bekkering said, “this means the money is available as soon as awards are signed and will be disbursed as the implementor requests an advance or reimbursement.”
“This is standard practice for grant agreements,” she said, “and enhances accountability and oversight.”
Bekkering also said the principles guiding the USDA include “commodities procured must
