Thanks to generous financial support from Germany, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and private donors, over the past 12 months WFP has been able to transfer more than UAH 2 billion (US$ 48.5 million) to pensioners living in areas classified by the government as areas of active or possible hostilities.
The program was launched in August 2023 to provide financial support to needy pensioners whose monthly pension is less than UAH 3,250 (US$81). The beneficiaries of this program had not received any support, such as living allowances for internally displaced persons or financial support from international organizations, since March 2023. They will receive a monthly top-up equal to the difference between their current pension and UAH 3,250.
The program is active until the end of the year.
“We are actively working with international partners to support Ukrainians who need it most, given the limited financial resources. The joint project with the UN World Food Programme is a successful example of such synergy. Thanks to this project, it became possible to “We need to provide assistance to the most needy elderly Ukrainians who have not had the opportunity to apply for assistance themselves,” said First Deputy Minister for Social Policy Daria Marchak.
“We know that Ukraine had strong social assistance systems even before the war and this project is a prime example of how we can build on them to support the most vulnerable during this difficult time,” said Richard Ragan, WFP Country Director in Ukraine. “It is not only cost-effective for us but also very convenient for pensioners to receive the support they need without having to apply for it or submit any documentation,” added Ragan.
Cash assistance is one of many ways WFP is supporting war-affected Ukrainians. WFP is also distributing food parcels in areas close to the frontline where food is hard to find or very expensive, supporting daily hot meals for 90,000 schoolchildren across the country, and helping smallholder farmers and rural families safely resume farming by surveying land and clearing war remnants in Kharkiv region. WFP has also chartered 25 vessels to export Ukrainian grain to countries in need under the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the President’s Grain From Ukraine Initiative.
For further information please contact:
Nataliia Nychai, WFP/Kiev, +380 664493921, [email protected]
Antoine Vallas, WFP/Kiev, +380 952501154, [email protected]
