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4/20/2022

FACT SHEET: U.S. Treasury Issues Fact Sheet on Food and Humanitarian Sanctions Authorizations | U.S. Department of…

FACT SHEET: U.S. Treasury Issues Fact Sheet on Food and
Humanitarian Sanctions Authorizations
April 19, 2022

WASHINGTON – Following the “Tackling Food Insecurity: The Challenge and Call to Action”
event convened today by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen, the U.S. Department of the
Treasuryʼs O ice of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued additional public guidance, “Fact
Sheet: Preserving Agricultural Trade, Access to Communication, and Other Support to Those
Impacted by Russiaʼs War Against Ukraine”. This guidance outlines the many humanitarian and
food-related authorizations issued by OFAC in support of people impacted by Russiaʼs war. At
todayʼs meeting, attendees discussed the need for an urgent response to the threat of rising
food insecurity exacerbated by Russiaʼs war against Ukraine. As part of that response, this
guidance provides consolidated information for financial institutions, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and market participants to more easily assess whether they are
engaging in authorized or exempt transactions. In addition, OFAC issued a new Russia-related
general license (GL)

to authorize transactions related to certain activities of NGOs in

Russia and Ukraine.
Beyond its toll on human life, Russiaʼs war against Ukraine is causing significant harm in the
region and the rest of the world. It has disrupted supply chains of agricultural commodities,
destroyed agricultural and transportation infrastructure in Ukraine, and driven up food and
energy costs, putting millions at increased risk of food insecurity. Treasury is deeply
concerned about the risks to global food supplies and food prices brought on by Putinʼs war at
a time when many emerging market and developing countries are still struggling to recover
from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the start of Russiaʼs further invasion in February 2022, the United States and its allies
and partners have sought to hold Russia accountable through expansive financial pressure
while seeking to minimize spillover e ects around the world. To that end, OFAC has issued
many general licenses (GLs) to mitigate unintended e ects of sanctions imposed by the
United States on Russia. In particular, Treasury has focused on preserving global food supply
chains through GL 6A, which provides, among other things, a carve-out for transactions
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0722

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4/20/2022

FACT SHEET: U.S. Treasury Issues Fact Sheet on Food and Humanitarian Sanctions Authorizations | U.S. Department of…

related to the exportation or reexportation of agricultural commodities to, from, or transiting
Russia.
Across multiple sanctions programs, Treasury has also issued humanitarian-related or other
GLs in support of the people impacted by Russiaʼs war related to:
Telecommunications and internet-based communications
COVID-19 and clinical trials
NGO activities
Personal remittances
Personal maintenance of U.S. individuals
Emergency medical services
U.S. government and international organization o icial business
Overflight payments, emergency landings, and air ambulance services
Civil maritime services in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Journalistic activities
Click here to read Fact Sheet: Preserving Agricultural Trade, Access to Communication, and
Other Support to Those Impacted by Russiaʼs War Against Ukraine.
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https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0722

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