Ukraine
- 14.6 million
- people in need of humanitarian assistance
- 4.9 million
- internally displaced people
- US$550 million
- distributed in cash transfers since April 2022
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 4.9 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 the almost one third of Ukraine's population working in this vital sector.
Food prices continue to rise as production and supply lines are disrupted, with many families in the east and south now without reliable access to nutritious food.
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 80 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.
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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$550 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 meals
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WFP supports daily nutritious meals for more than 100,000 children in more than 700 schools across Ukraine.