Conflict and food insecurity go hand-in-hand. Without peace, stable food systems and sustainable development will always be out of reach. The war in Ukraine has caused not only a humanitarian crisis, but is also increasing food and fuel prices, which in turn are impacting the world’s most vulnerable people.
Even before the war in Ukraine, the world was facing a worsening food crisis with the combined impacts of COVID-19, extreme weather shocks, and inflation wreaking havoc on food supply and prices. Now, as conflict rages in a major food and commodities exporting region, the food crisis is quickly spiralling.
To respond to this, IFAD has established a Crisis Response Initiative (CRI), a financing facility dedicated to supporting small-scale producers most affected by the Ukraine crisis. The initiative aims to help them access the inputs, credit, small-scale infrastructure, and information they need to maintain food security and sustain decent livelihoods, while adapting to the ongoing impacts of climate change. It also reinforces IFAD’s long-term efforts to build resilience in poor rural communities in developing countries around the world.
Ukraine’s application to join IFAD as a Member State was endorsed by IFAD’s Governing Council in 2023. Ukraine will be fully integrated in IFAD’s next funding cycle, starting in 2025. Until then, IFAD will explore ways to mobilize funds in support of Ukraine’s rural development priorities, including rehabilitating rural infrastructure and creating agricultural jobs.
Above all, IFAD joins calls from the United Nations Secretary General, and the global community, for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine, restore peace, and protect human rights.
