EU Humanitarian Aid Helps WFP Maintain Assistance To Conflict-Affected People In Eastern Ukraine

The contribution allows WFP to manage logistics on behalf of the humanitarian community, and facilitate the delivery of assistance from government controlled to the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk – the two oblasts (provinces) in Eastern Ukraine, where people have been most affected by the conflict.

"This significant contribution from the EU is perfectly timed, allowing the WFP-led Logistics Cluster to continue reaching areas where many people do not have the means to secure their most basic needs,” said WFP’s Representative in Ukraine, Dorte Ellehammer.

“We are happy to contribute to this action that will facilitate the swift supply of much needed humanitarian goods in a more coordinated and effective way” said Mamar Merzouk, Head of the European Commission's humanitarian aid office in Ukraine.

The European Union is among WFP’s largest donors, not only through its humanitarian funding for programmes in Ukraine but also thanks to providing vital support towards relief operations in 45 countries around the world.

The European Union is also one of the main donors to the Logistics Cluster, which actively supports all humanitarian organizations present in Ukraine. The cluster facilitates joint humanitarian convoys, assists with administrative preparation required for humanitarian cargo transportation and regularly arranges coordination meetings to improve the response to conflict-affected communities.

As of today, the WFP-led Logistics Cluster has expedited the delivery of more than 4,000 metric tons and 7,000 cubic metres of humanitarian aid, moving more than 200 trucks in 20 joint humanitarian convoys to Luhansk and Donetsk – delivering crucial assistance to those most in need. Besides offering in-kind assistance to populations in non-government controlled areas, EU humanitarian aid has also supported WFP’s cash-based assistance in Government Controlled Areas. WFP is aiming to reach a total of 280,000 beneficiaries from July until end of 2016, requiring a total of US$ 30.6 million.

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @WFP_Media @WFP_Ukraine @LogCluster

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Deborah Nguyen, WFP/Kiev, Tel.+ 38 050 363 38 57

Krystyna Kovalenko, WFP/Kiev, Tel. +380 50 425 35 64

Patrick Baudry, WFP/Kiev, Tel.+38 050 363 40 19

Yulia Lutska, WFP/Kiev, Tel.+ 38 050 425 18  96