G7 to commit USD2.5bn for food-insecure countries

Business Recorder reported that G7 members have pledged USD2.5 billion to help poorer countries cope with food supply problems. French economy minister Roland Lescure made the announcement in Bangkok on Thursday, on the margins of the IMF and World Bank yearly gathering.

Lescure noted that the World Bank has flagged 44 countries that could face food security problems as global energy prices climb. He singled out fertilisers as a priority for the money, and linked the energy price rise to the US attack on Iran, which has thrust the Middle East into hostilities and disrupted fertiliser supply.

Lescure added that the seven members have gathered 260 million euros, or USD291 million, to fix a dome meant to stop leaks at the Chernobyl site, which was struck during Russian assaults in February 2025. France had earlier put the repair bill at 500 million euros, and the United States pledged USD100 million in April, leaving a few million euros still to find. A pledging conference in Paris is planned for November to raise the balance.