WFP provides aid to one million people in Ukraine, seeks USD 590 mn to expand assistance

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday said that it is providing food assistance to at least one million people in Ukraine amid the war with Russia. WFP has also built systems that facilitate the delivery of food supplies to the most vulnerable people across the Ukrainian cities. The official statement added that more convoys would be sent to the war-ravaged nation in the upcoming days as the Russia-Ukraine war entered the 36th day. 

Moreover, the UN food agency has provided 330,000 loaves of freshly baked bread to families in the city of Kharkiv, cash assistance to displaced people in Lviv and ready-to-eat food in various parts of the country. WFP said in the news release that its “emergency food supplies have also made it to the conflict areas of Sumy and Kharkiv through two interagency humanitarian convoys. These achievements come despite a volatile security situation, difficulties finding partners on the ground and the challenges of serving a population on the move.”

As the agency reached at least one million people in Ukraine, WFP’s emergency coordinator for Ukraine, Jakob Kern noted how just a month ago, when the war began, WFP had “no presence on the ground, no staff, no network of suppliers or partners. To build an operation from the ground up and get food to one million people seemed a monumental challenge”.

Jakob Kern said, “Now that the structures are in place, we need the funding to keep delivering assistance, and to help 3 million people in need.”

Additionally, WFP sought expansion of its funding and said, "WFP requires $590 million to assist 3.1 million crisis-affected people and IDPs on the move inside Ukraine with in-kind and cash distributions, as well as refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine in neighbouring countries for the next three months."

6.5 million people are displaced inside Ukraine: WFP

WFP noted that around 6.5 million have been displaced inside Ukraine since Russia launched its so-called ‘military operation’ in the neighbouring country. According to the United Nations food agency, food is among the top three concerns for people inside the country which is constantly under Russian shelling. Fuel for transportation is among other concerns of the people, as per the preliminary findings of a remote assessment by WFP. 

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