The three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have been a severe challenge for everyone living on the frontline. Food security is one of the biggest humanitarian challenges, and it is becoming increasingly acute in these circumstances. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), around 5 million Ukrainians are currently facing serious food insecurity. This is most pronounced in areas close to the frontline, where a large proportion of the population is experiencing food insecurity.
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Humanitarian crisis on the frontline
According to the WFP, more than half of the population of Kherson region is experiencing severe hunger, while in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, two out of five people are affected. Given that this category includes not only children and women, but also the elderly, the food situation in the frontline areas has become one of the biggest humanitarian challenges. Millions of people in Ukraine are forced to find different ways to survive in an environment where their basic needs are not being met, and even the mere possibility of buying food is becoming a real challenge.
Disruptions in food supplies, the destruction of farmland and the destruction of infrastructure are creating catastrophic conditions for normal life. In many areas, even access to supermarkets has become impossible due to constant shelling and destroyed roads. However, even in those areas that have remained intact, prices for basic foodstuffs have increased by 25% over the past year, severely compromising the affordability of food for many families.
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Market challenges and rising food prices
One of the biggest challenges affecting the food situation is the significant rise in food prices. The cost of staples such as bread, milk, vegetables, and meat has risen by an average of 25%, and the prices of some vegetables, such as potatoes and onions, have more than doubled. This means that even when basic foods are available, they are out of reach for many families. Even in times of war, the food market follows general economic trends, but with an emphasis on unpredictability and life-threatening risks.
It is especially difficult for those who do not have a stable income. In countries impacted by war, jobs disappear, businesses close down, and any options for additional income become either limited or dangerous. Additional living expenses force people to take out loans and enter into debt, which often leads to even greater economic dependence and social inequality.
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Living in conditions of hunger
Food problems have not only economic but also social consequences. People in the frontline areas are forced to sacrifice their needs for the benefit of their families. Parents give up food to give to their children, reduce the amount of food they eat, buy low-quality products or even take out loans to provide at least the minimum. This indicates not only an economic but also a psychological crisis. The constant feeling of instability, when even basic needs are unattainable, leads to stress, depression and other mental disorders. The severe psychological effects of the war are becoming another challenge that complicates the recovery process.
The effects of this food crisis are particularly felt in the absence of social guarantees and basic services. People in these regions feel isolated, as even in areas where humanitarian aid is available, there are constant problems with accessing it due to the fighting and destroyed infrastructure.
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The role of international humanitarian aid
The World Food Programme has been active in Ukraine for more than two years, providing humanitarian assistance to the most affected regions. Every month, the organisation provides assistance to nearly 1.5 million Ukrainians, mostly in the areas where active hostilities are taking place. Since the beginning of the war, WFP has provided more than 3.3 billion meals and distributed over 445,000 tonnes of food. However, despite the great efforts, the needs continue to grow. The organisation is unable to reach everyone in need. Large-scale international assistance is needed to prevent famine in the affected regions.
‘All programmes are currently in great demand. The demand is from the affected population. That is why the common challenge for all of us is the growing needs, the growing humanitarian crisis against the backdrop of war and at the same time the decrease in funding. They need to adapt to these conditions constantly,’ said Tetyana Yatsyuk, Head of the WASH Programme at Caritas Ukraine, during the roundtable. According to the representative of the Ukrainian Red Cross, Andriy Poznyakevych, ‘in general terms’ the need for assistance has not decreased over the past three years, while funding has been ‘somewhat decreasing’.
The situation is also complicated by the risks for humanitarian workers. In recent months, humanitarian trucks and logistics units have been targeted by shelling, rocket attacks and drone attacks more than 20 times. This not only undermines the security of these missions, but also directly threatens the lives of those who rely on this assistance.
‘A big challenge is the unstable frontline we have faced over the past year. Accordingly, our response had to include emergency response measures and, accordingly, changes in the project areas that were previously planned. That is, adaptation to new conditions,’ said the Caritas Ukraine representative. She also mentioned staff shortages and mobilisation as other pressing obstacles that many humanitarian organisations have recently faced.
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Looking to the future
Lasting peace is the only way to address these challenges. Only when peace is restored will it be possible to re-launch the economy and normalise food supplies. In the worst affected areas, not only infrastructure but also agricultural production needs to be rebuilt to return Ukraine to its historic role as one of the largest food suppliers on the world market.
But even at this point, humanitarian aid is indispensable. It is important to understand that aid cannot be just a temporary measure. It must become the basis for sustainable development, and this requires not only continued support, but also active work to rebuild the economy and social structures, which is an important part of the long-term recovery.
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