June 22. In preparation for the 2020 Annual Session of the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), WFP Executive Director David Beasley held a teleconference.

The Head of the world's largest humanitarian agency informed about the ongoing activities of the Programme in the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the relevance of School Feeding projects, as well as humanitarian operations of WFP in the most vulnerable countries and regions that require priority aid (Yemen, Syria, the Sahel , Somalia, DR Congo, South Sudan, etc.).

The Russian side welcomed the efforts of the Program as part of a collective inter-agency response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, in particular, within the framework of the System-wide Services Plan (WFP COVID-19 Response Common Services Plan) with a total volume of up to $ 1 billion.

Also touched upon were the current issues of Russia's interaction with WFP in the field of emergency food assistance to countries affected by armed conflicts, primarily Yemen and Syria.

Besides that the Russian contribution to the long-term projects implemented by the Program on establishing sustainable school feeding systems in the CIS countries that contribute to the achievement of the key Sustainable Development Goals (reducing the number of hungry people, ensuring access to primary education, ensuring gender equality, children's health) as part of the global sustainable development until 2030 were also noted.

In addition, it was mentioned that a number of Russian companies show their interest in establishing cooperation with humanitarian organizations of the UN system for the transportation and supply of specialized equipment, including to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.