As the Ukraine struggles with a hunger crisis, the UN World Food Programme says it will continue its emergency operation through June. The WFP announced it would feed more than 260,000 people affected by the ongoing conflict between the government and pro-Russian rebels.
Hunger is expected to rise during the winter months, especially among those internally displaced by the war. Since fighting erupted in 2014, more than 1.5 million have been uprooted from their homes.
WFP Ukraine director Giancarlo Stopponi says the situation has become desperate for war victims. There is no end to the fighting in sight.
Access to parts of Eastern Ukraine is also extremely difficult for humanitarians. Stopponi said this week that many Ukrainians are “either trapped by the conflict or have fled their homes, thinking they would return in a few months and are now living in difficult conditions, especially in winter when temperatures are extremely low.”
Never before had WFP operated in the Ukraine. There had never been a need. But with war comes hunger and WFP has sprung to action to help the Ukraine.
However, with emergencies taking place in Syria, South Sudan, Iraq, and Yemen resources are much harder to come by. WFP is low on funding for the Ukraine, threatening its mission. Around US $ 35 million is urgently needed by WFP to provide food parcels, vouchers and nutrition programs for children.
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Author William Lambers 