Ukraine on the brink of famine: how the war affects food security
26 February 2025 20:22
The fourth year of war in Ukraine has led to a significant food crisis, especially in the frontline regions. About 5 million Ukrainians are facing food insecurity, and many families are forced to cut back on food consumption, buy less nutritious food or borrow money to buy food, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing data from the World Food Program (WFP).
According to the WFP, the situation is most acute in Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk regions, where a significant part of the population suffers from acute hunger.
Even where stores are open, people cannot afford normal food. Prices for basic food have risen by 25% in a year, and some vegetables have doubled in price, making humanitarian aid the only way to survive.
The UN World Food Program provides food and cash assistance to 1.5 million Ukrainians every month. Since the beginning of the war, the organization has distributed more than 445,000 tons of food, equivalent to 3.3 billion meals. Despite these efforts, the humanitarian situation remains critical due to the destruction of infrastructure, disruption of supplies and a significant increase in food prices – the cost of basic food has risen by 25% over the year, and some vegetables have doubled in price.
However, the provision of assistance in the frontline areas is complicated by the hostilities. Over the past six months, humanitarian convoys and WFP distribution centers have come under fire, drone attacks and missile strikes more than 20 times. This puts not only humanitarian workers at risk, but also hundreds of thousands of people who depend on aid.
It should be noted that the World Food Program is a humanitarian organization that saves lives in emergencies and provides food aid for peace and prosperity to people recovering from armed conflict, natural disasters and the effects of climate change.
