Ukraine
- 5 million
- people in need of food and livelihoods assistance
- 3.6 million
- internally displaced people
- 1.5 million
- people reached on average every month by WFP
The war in Ukraine has had drastic consequences, both for people inside the country and for those around the world dependent on its huge grain supplies.
It has caused one of the fastest forced population movements since the Second World War. Close to 6 million Ukrainians are still living as refugees across Europe, and another 3.6 million are internally displaced. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods. Agriculture has suffered an estimated US$80 billion in damage and losses, with a devastating impact for one third of Ukraine's population working in this vital sector.
The war and the energy crisis – the latter resulting from attacks on infrastructure – are disrupting food production and commercial supply chains inside the country, leaving many communities in the east and south with no reliable access to food. The war has turned vast areas of farmland into deadly minefields - approximately 25,000 square kilometres of agricultural land are potentially contaminated with explosive ordnance.
Food prices continue to rise as production and supply lines are disrupted, with many families in the east and south without reliable access to nutritious food.
WFP uses a flexible mix of food and cash assistance to support vulnerable people. This includes working with local partners to distribute food rations in areas near the frontline, and providing cash transfers wherever people have access to banks and markets to buy food.
WFP emphasizes a localized approach, working with local partners and businesses and supporting existing institutions and safety nets that protect the most vulnerable Ukrainians. About 82 percent of the food WFP distributes in Ukraine is bought locally, helping to stabilize economic activity and food systems. Overall, WFP has injected more than US$1.3 billion into the Ukrainian economy since March 2022.
Ukraine produced enough food to feed 400 million people per year prior to the war. Regular attacks on civilian port infrastructure threaten to disrupt the supply of food to countries in acute need and to drive up global food prices, as happened at the beginning of the war when Black Sea ports were closed.
WFP continues to advocate for the safe passage of commercial vessels transporting grain and food to and from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Ukraine
-
Food assistance
-
WFP delivers food kits and ready-to-eat food rations, primarily in hard-to-reach and frontline areas where commercial supply lines are disrupted and access to food is unreliable. Food kits typically comprise wheat flour, pasta, oats, canned beans or meat, sunflower oil, sugar and salt. WFP buys approximately 82 percent of this food inside Ukraine and works with local bakeries to deliver bread. WFP also provides food commodities to institutions such as hospitals, care centres, displacement centres and orphanages, to support the provision of hot meals.
-
Cash assistance and social protection
-
WFP distributes cash assistance to people displaced or affected by the war, where banks are functioning and food is easily accessible. Cash assistance gives people the freedom to meet their essential needs as they choose, and stimulates local economies. WFP also complements social assistance payments made by the Government, and works closely with the Ministry of Social Policy to improve the accessibility, efficiency and transparency of social assistance programmes, making it easier for people to receive assistance from the State or international organizations. WFP has distributed more than US$708 million in cash assistance to over 3 million people since April 2022.
-
Agricultural mine action
-
WFP is working with FAO, the Government of Ukraine and the Fondation suisse de deminage to survey small-scale agricultural land for the presence of mines and other explosive remnants of war, clear it where necessary, and support its safe release for food production. This can help restore rural livelihoods, sustain agricultural production, and reduce the need for food assistance for thousands of families. The project is currently underway in the Kharkiv region.
-
Emergency telecommunications and logistics
-
WFP coordinates humanitarian logistics and telecommunications services in Ukraine, as the lead organisation of the Logistics Cluster and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster. The Logistics Cluster consolidates and shares information on logistics services, facilities and access constraints, coordinates road transport, cargo delivery and storage services, and supports cargo consolidation and planning for humanitarian convoys.
-
School meals
-
WFP works with the Ministry of Education to provide school meals through direct assistance and capacity development. Schools in Ukraine are heavily impacted by the war. Destruction of school buildings, damage to telecommunications networks used for remote learning as well as displacement of children and teachers, all contributed to psychological harm and further learning disruptions. During the 2023-2024 school year, WFP supported daily meals for 90,000 children in 700 schools across Ukraine. We plan to support 180,000 students across 1,700 schools during the 2024-2025 school year.
Partners and donors
Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Ukraine is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
View all