Japan helps WFP deliver food assistance to people affected by destruction of Kakhovka dam

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) thanked the Government of Japan for its early and generous contribution of US$2 million to support Ukrainian communities affected by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

To date, WFP has delivered more than 235,000 food rations to people affected by the destruction of the dam across Khersonska and Mykolaivska oblasts. Japan's contribution will help WFP sustain this assistance, mostly in the form of 30-day food rations.

"Japan is a leader in advocating for and providing humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, and one of our most important partners", said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Country Director in Ukraine. "This new contribution will support families who have had to endure not only the daily consequences of the war, but also a terrible ecological catastrophe," Hollingworth added.

WFP and its local partner Tarilka started distributing ready-to-eat food packages of locally baked bread and canned beans or meat just six hours after the destruction of the dam on June 6. Within ten days, WFP had delivered more than 150,000 of these food rations to support families who had been evacuated or were trapped in flooded areas.

WFP works in Ukraine to provide food and cash assistance to Ukrainians affected by the war at the request of the Government and in close collaboration with authorities and local partners. Since March 2022, WFP has distributed the equivalent of almost 2 billion meals to Ukrainians – counting all forms of assistance including cash. WFP's food assistance is primarily targeting areas near the frontline where food is scarce or very expensive, and more than 90% of the food that WFP distributes is purchased locally in Ukraine.

Since March 2022, the Government of Japan has contributed more than US$46 million to support WFP emergency food assistance programmes in Ukraine as well as logistics and emergency telecommunications services for the entire humanitarian community. This makes Japan one of the most important donors to WFP operations in the country. WFP also received US$13.8 million of individual donations from the Japanese people and the Japanese private sector.