IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva holds a news conference at the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund during the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, U.S., October 13, 2022. REUTERS/James Lawler DugganWASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday said that the Washington-based lender has provided $90 billion on 18 new and augments programs since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, and 28 countries have expressed interest in receiving new IMF support. Georgieva said during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Washington that the Fund's lending is "aligned with our counter-cyclical role," and since the pandemic began it has provided $260 billion in financial support to 93 countries. "And we now have 28 additional countries expressing interest in receiving support from the Fund," she added during a press conference, without providing any further details on which countries are on the list or what kind of support they are seeking. "We need stronger efforts to confront food insecurity — 345 million people are acutely food insecure," Georgieva added.

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