World Food Programme on the ground providing emergency food assistance to Oleshky evacuees in Ukraine

KYIV/ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency food assistance to more than 400 people in Kyiv who were able to leave the city of Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, during a brief localized ceasefire. Many arrived in worrying condition at medical facilities on 31 October after being trapped by fighting and having endured months of severe shortages of basic necessities including food and medical supplies. WFP welcomed the short ceasefire and called for safe, sustained humanitarian access to reach civilians wherever they are in need.

Working with its national partner Iskra Dobra, WFP provided hot meals to evacuees immediately upon arrival and will continue doing so for an initial two weeks. More evacuees are expected, and WFP stands ready to scale its assistance as needed. The emergency food assistance is funded by the United States.

The ceasefire, brokered by United States First Lady Melania Trump, provided a brief humanitarian pause for civilians in Oleshky. The United Nations has stressed that people wishing to leave must be able to do so safely and voluntarily and has called for the pause to pave the way for greater humanitarian access on both sides of the frontline.

“For people who have endured months of fear, isolation and deprivation, this humanitarian pause offers something very simple but incredibly important: a chance to reach safety and receive the help they need,” said Luke J. Lindberg, WFP Executive Director. “We recognize the role of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in helping make this ceasefire possible. We hope this moment can open the door to sustained humanitarian access so that assistance can reach civilians wherever they are in need.”

WFP had been monitoring the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Oleshky and had previously attempted to provide support but had not been granted access. The agency made preparatory arrangements with its partner to ensure immediate hot meal availability once permissions were granted and evacuees arrived at medical facilities in Kyiv.

“We were able to respond quickly and effectively thanks to the flexibility in funding from the United States,” said Richard Ragan, Representative and Country Director of WFP in Ukraine. “We can scale immediately when we have the right resources and operating space for our staff, partners and the people we serve.”

The evacuation comes amid an increasingly dangerous environment for civilians and humanitarian operations across Ukraine. As of September 2026, WFP had recorded 134 security incidents affecting the agency and its cooperating partners since 2023, including 57 incidents this year alone.

These security incidents impacted distribution points, vehicles, warehouses, food commodities and humanitarian personnel, further constraining efforts to reach communities safely.

Across Ukraine, WFP continues to provide food and cash assistance to people affected by the war, reaching more than half a million people each month with a focus on communities near the frontline. Working with local organizations and the Government of Ukraine, WFP also supports people evacuating conflict-affected areas and helps keep the wider humanitarian response moving through shared logistics services and inter-agency convoys.