War-related food shortages in Ukraine: one in five families in need of assistance - UN

Ukraine is facing acute food shortages due to the war, and according to the United Nations (UN), one in five families in the country is facing food insecurity. The World Food Program (WFP) representative in Ukraine, Matthew Hollingsworth, reported this at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

According to him, 80% of settlements near the front line in Ukraine have limited access to food. More than 900,000 people living within 30 kilometers of the front line are in acute need of food, especially in winter.

Hollingsworth emphasized that hundreds of thousands of people living in Ukraine's most important agricultural areas are dependent on humanitarian and food aid. WFP plans to provide food to about 750,000 people this winter season, and another 1.5 million people will receive cash assistance in areas directly affected by the fighting.

Hollingsworth reminded that by February 2022, Ukraine accounted for 9% of global wheat exports, 15% of corn and 44% of sunflower oil. However, the country has now suffered $40.2 billion in agricultural losses. The WFP representative called for focusing on meeting Ukraine's immediate needs and ensuring that the agricultural sector is quickly restored to help the world's hungry.