By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden announced Thursday that his administration will provide an additional $2 billion in urgently needed humanitarian assistance to address food insecurity in Africa.
In his closing remarks at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., Biden said the food assistance “is going to help ensure that children and families don't have to go to bed hungry.”
The three-day summit ended Thursday, hosting 49 African leaders in the US capital. Issues concerning the African continent were discussed in both public sessions and bilateral meetings.
The leaders spoke on a variety of topics, including food security, sustainable development, trade and energy.
The summit came as the Biden administration aims to increase its influence in the region amid increasing competition from China and Russia.
Earlier in the day, Biden in his address to the summit said he is eager to visit the continent while also calling for the African Union to become a permanent member of the G-20.