The head of the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations (UN), David Beasley, reported this Saturday (5) that the agency has increased assistance to assist 3 to 5 million people in Ukraine, who are beginning to suffer from the scarcity of food. According to him, these operations involve many vehicles, purchases and cash assistance to families in need.
Beasley is in Poland and believes that the conflict could bring the world hunger crisis to a level never seen before. According to him, the WFP’s goal is to create a hotline in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and in other cities in the country, affected by the fighting.
In Kiev there are already reports of severe shortages of food and water, while in Kharkiv WFP teams are mounting relief operations. These food assistance delivery points are also being created in border countries such as Poland.
The agency said it was “in a race against time to place food in conflict areas”. In Ukraine, the goal is to find partners to help with the distribution of assistance, while in neighboring countries, teams are identifying local vendors to be able to buy more stock.
Impact on the world
The agency recalls that together, Russia and Ukraine are responsible for 29% of the global wheat trade market. A sharp halt in production and exports could send food prices to a 10-year high. WFP chief David Beasley fears that more people in the world will go hungry in a scenario like this.
*With information from UN News
