Mennonite Central Committee Canada and Step With Hope are partnering on a food assistance project in Dnipro, Synelnykove, Pavlohrad, Ukraine.
Food insecurity in Dnipropetrovska oblast is primarily driven by ongoing conflict-related displacement and severe economic vulnerability. Continuous hostilities and large scale movement of people have placed extreme strain on local infrastructure and markets, with 560,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in the region and many arriving with depleted resources. High rent, loss of livelihoods, and limited employment opportunities leave both newly arrived and long term IDPs unable to meet basic needs, forcing many to reduce food intake, buy cheaper food, or incur debt. Rising food prices—up 17.4% year on year—further erode purchasing power, especially among low-income households. Winter power outages limit households’ ability to heat homes or safely store and cook food, worsening conditions for families with children, people with chronic illnesses, and those needing special diets. Protracted displacement has weakened resilience, pushing households toward crisis level coping strategies and leaving a growing share of the population with insufficient food.
The project will provide monthly value vouchers worth CAD $42 per person to approximately 3,082 participants in 1,157 households to purchase food. 2,162 participants will receive assistance for five months and one time assistance will be reserved for 920 participants over the course of the project, as needs arise. Sixty people from among the participants who have limited mobility or other vulnerabilities will also be provided with social supports.