The U.S. will put $200 million toward addressing acute hunger in conflict zones around the world, including Gaza, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Friday.
The money will go toward maximizing the procurement, production and distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a nutrient-filled, peanut-based paste that is particularly useful for addressing malnutrition in children under 5 years old, in places like Gaza, Sudan and Haiti, a USAID official told ABC News.
In Gaza, USAID partners are already distributing RUTF, and the agency plans to ship additional RUTF supplies into the enclave from Kenya via the maritime corridor soon, the official added.
Humanitarian groups and the United Nations have warned for weeks about the threat of a full-fledged famine in Gaza as the conflict continues.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford