Attachments
The war continues to escalate with major impacts on Ukraine’s agriculture sector, which used to feed 400 million people annually across the globe. Frontline territories are rural and agricultural. More than one‑third of these families have reduced or stopped farming due to the war. They are increasingly impacted by contaminated lands, damaged infrastructure and limited access to basic agricultural supplies, while anticipating the harshest winter since 2022. Rural communities urgently need support to maintain local food production and supply.
TO ASSIST 821 000 people
FAO REQUIRES USD 150 million
JANUARY–DECEMBER 2024
Urgency of humanitarian agricultural assistance
The war in Ukraine continues to exacerbate the vulnerabilities of rural communities, especially those living within 50 kilometres from the frontline. Food production is declining, and the number of people requiring food security and livelihoods assistance in 2024 has increased four-fold since 2021. Most rural households have lost their productive assets due to displacement, damaged land, infrastructure and equipment, and lack of access to critical inputs. Key infrastructure has also been impacted by the war, most notably the breach of Kakhovka Dam and its reservoir, which affected food production across 306 500 ha of agricultural land.* As a result, rural communities are increasingly struggling to produce and access the food they need. Within the framework of the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, around one-third of people targeted to receive food aid are rural families who typically grow their own food. While addressing land contamination, they urgently need access to seeds, fertilizer, cash, supplies for livestock to survive the winter, as well as energy solutions to keep food production and supply running.
Coordination
As co-leads of the Ukraine Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme work closely with over 209 local and international partners, in collaboration with institutional counterparts, to ensure a needs-based, coordinated and effective response.