ReliefWeb

Highlights

• WFP has finalised its operations in Ukraine by the end of February. WFP will keep a limited presence in Ukraine over the coming months, monitoring the food security situation there.

• Since January 2017, WFP and its cooperating partners assisted total 232,750 people through inkind and cash-based transfer food assistance entitlements.

• WFP prioritised available resources to support severely food insecure conflict-affected people in the east of Ukraine over winter months with multiple rounds of food assistance.

• WFP has finalised all food distributions in NGCA in 2017. However, WFP team remains in close contact with the de facto authorities to monitor food security situation in the area.

WFP Assistance

WFP began its operations at the request of the Government of Ukraine in August 2014, to deliver emergency assistance to the people affected by the conflict in the eastern part of the country. To date, WFP has provided food assistance to more than 1 million vulnerable people, through a range of cash-based transfers (CBT), both cash and vouchers, and locally-procured food commodities, contributing USD 60 million into the local economy. Around 300,000 food insecure people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine received food assistance using CBT modality, with an amount of more than USD 20 million. At the same time, 788,000 people trapped in the conflict zone, mostly nongovernment controlled areas (NGCA), have received 17,528,789 mt of WFP in-kind food assistance.

National and international partners, including the Government of Ukraine at national and local level, UN agencies, NGOs, and the donor community are making joint efforts to reduce the level of food insecurity in eastern Ukraine.

Food assistance under the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) has been finalised in February, after being extended for two months covering January and February 2018, in order to support affected population during the winter when the food insecurity traditionally increases. WFP prioritised the available resources and extended the assistance targeting 13,000 of the most foodinsecure people for a 2-month period (January-February 2018) when people are traditionally the most vulnerable.

They continued to receive cash and vouchers to buy food from local markets up to end of February 2018, the time WFP winded up its operations in Ukraine.

Despite increased levels of food insecurity in eastern Ukraine in 2017 and the positive impact of humanitarian assistance, limited resources and access constraints have made it impossible for WFP to maintain its operation in Ukraine.