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 5.1 million are internally displaced. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods. As food production and supply lines are disrupted by fighting, many families in the east and south do not have reliable access to nutritious food.
WFP uses a flexible mix of food and cash assistance to support vulnerable people wherever they are. 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.
Ukraine is one of the world's major breadbaskets, producing enough food to feed 400 million people per year prior to the war. The war has drastically cut supplies for countries in acute need, while driving up food prices. WFP has worked to continue shipping Ukrainian wheat to countries in need by chartering more than 24 vessels under the Black Sea Initiative. This also provides an important boost to Ukraine’s economy.
WFP emphasizes a localized approach, working with local partners and businesses and supporting existing institutions and safety nets that protect the most vulnerable Ukrainians.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Ukraine
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Food assistance
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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 more than 90% 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.
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Cash assistance and social protection
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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 has distributed more than US$500 million in cash assistance to over 3 million people since April 2022. 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. Where it makes sense and is safe, WFP distributes supermarket value vouchers to help people purchase food and other necessities directly from those markets. We encourage retailers to keep shops open, to reopen them or to restock their shelves.
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Agricultural mine action
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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 helprestore rural livelihoods, sustain agricultural production, and reduce the need for food assistance for thousands of families. The initial phase of the project is currently underway in the Kharkiv region.
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Emergency telecommunications and logistics
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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.
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School feeding
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WFP supports daily hot meals in schools under the National School Feeding Programme, and plans to reach more than 70,000 children in 458 schools across the country in the 2023/2024 academic 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:
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
All Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Baptists
Associazione Volontari Per Il Servi
Australia
Canada
View all