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 1. Home
 2. Stories
 3. War in Ukraine: How a demining project is bringing hope to farmers two years
    on




WAR IN UKRAINE: HOW A DEMINING PROJECT IS BRINGING HOPE TO FARMERS TWO YEARS ON

The World Food Programme and FAO work with partners to restore agricultural
livelihoods in the world’s most heavily mined country
13 February 2024, By Niema Abdelmageed, Antoine Vallas and Elizabeth Bryant
Conflicts Food Security Smallholder Farmers Ukraine

Volodymyr Korniich and his wife Liudmyla hope to resume farming, thanks to a
demining project supported by WFP and partners in Ukraine. Photo: WFP/Niema
Abdelmageed 

Winter has cast an icy grip over the eastern Ukrainian village of Kamianka. But
not so long ago, residents Volodymyr Korniich and his wife Liudmyla would have
been looking ahead to spring planting. 

Over nearly a quarter century, the couple has slowly expanded their farming
business, growing a mix of grains, vegetables and watermelon, and raising
chickens, cows and pigs. 

But today, their work has ground to a halt. Not because of the harsh weather,
but because of landmines. “In this village, we can only feel safe in our own
yard,” says Korniich. “When you go outside, there is danger waiting for you.”

As Ukraine enters its third year of war, the country has outstripped Afghanistan
and Syria to become the most heavily mined in the world. Roughly 25,000 sq km of
agricultural land are potentially strewn with mines and other dangerous debris
from the conflict, which have so far killed and maimed hundreds of people. 


A sign warning of landmines in Ukraine, the world's most heavily mined country.
Photo: WFP/Niema Abdelmageed

Beyond the risk to human lives, landmines are threatening this agricultural
powerhouse that has long been a top grain exporter, contributing to pushing up
global grain prices – and poverty. 

Smallholder farmers like Korniich – responsible for the vast majority of milk,
cattle, fruit and vegetable production in the country and accounting for
three-quarters of its food-producing labour force – are especially threatened.
Many have halted or reduced their production, and almost all are surviving on
dwindling revenues. 

But today, a small section of Korniich’s land has been cleared, thanks to a
joint demining project run by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and
Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the
Geneva-based NGO Fondation Suisse de Déminage.


Landmines hit hard many smallholder farmers in Ukraine, who produce much of the
country's fruits and vegetables. Photo: WFP/Niema Abdelmageed

Focusing on smallholders like Korniich who cultivate less than 300 hectares of
land – along with rural families growing crops for their own consumption – the
programme is initially being rolled out in the eastern Kharkhiv region, with
plans to expand to two of Ukraine’s other top farming regions, Mykolaiv and
Kherson. 

“By restoring mined land to productive use, we can help restore agricultural
livelihoods –  and, in doing so, phase out the need for humanitarian assistance
for thousands of rural families,” says Marianne Ward, WFP Ukraine Country
Director ad interim. 

MORE JOBS, NEW HOPES

The WFP-FAO demining project is being carried out in close cooperation with
rural communities and the Ukrainian authorities, as part of a broader government
effort to clear vast swathes of contaminated land. The goal and the price tag
are daunting: the World Bank estimates the cost could exceed $US37 billion. 


Workers from WFP and FAO, along with deminers from the Fondation Suisse de
Déminage, speak with Ukrainians to assess the situation on the ground ahead of
clearing landmines. Photo: WFP/Anastasiia Honcharuk

But demining also brings major financial returns. The smallholder-focused
project alone could potentially save up to US$60 million in direct food
assistance to rural communities – like those living in Kamianka – who struggle
to afford food and other basic necessities. 

“Demining will ensure access to land for many families who cultivate crops for
their own consumption, but also for farmers who sell their produce for a
living,” says Maselskiy Ivanovych, who heads the Izium local administration that
includes Kamianka. “This can provide jobs, but also increase the budget of
territorial communities in the district.”

The WFP-FAO project uses satellite imagery to map out potentially mined land,
then dispatches specialized teams to survey and clear it – prioritizing
productive areas that can be quickly and safely restored. FAO also assesses
specific needs of households and offers financial assistance to participants
left destitute by the war.

“This is an opportunity to save those villages in Ukraine that are devastated
and destroyed and return a breath of life to them,” says Nina Yarosh, WFP
Programme Policy Officer in Kharkiv. 


Many rural families in Ukraine have fled their war-destroyed homes. In areas
where land is being cleared of mines, some hope to return and begin farming
again. Photo: WFP/Anastasiia Honcharuk

In Kamianka, many of Korniich’s neighbours have left the village for safer
places. Others have become war casualties. 

“We have people who were wounded,” he says, “people without hope. And people who
already lost hope that it would ever be safe to walk here.”

Those who remain are living with dwindling resources. Korniich’s family lives
without heat, electricity or gas. One of his three farm labourers left. 

Yet today, friends and neighbours displaced by the war are calling him to ask
about the progress of the demining, eager to return. “They told me, ‘Volodia, I
will be cultivating, I will rebuild here. I don’t want to leave anymore',” he
says. 

Another local farmer, Tetiiana Lukianko, was evacuated from Kamianka early into
the war. She returned home last March. 


Ukrainian farmer Tetiiana Lukianko is also on the list for the demining project
and hopes it will revive her village. Photo: WFP/Antoine Vallas

“I found two grenades in my cellar, one in the yard, and one more in the flower
garden,” she says. 


Lukianko is also on the list for the WFP-FAO demining project. Despite the
ongoing conflict, she is hopeful about the future. 

“I believe the village will revive,” she says. “It’s a very beautiful village.” 

WFP’s mine action project to restore rural livelihoods in Ukraine is funded by
Croatia, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway,
Poland, Private donors and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).

LEARN MORE ABOUT WFP'S WORK IN UKRAINE


NOW IS THE
TIME TO ACT

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Donate today


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 * Who we are
   Back
   
   
   WHO WE ARE
   
   We bring life-saving relief in emergencies and use food assistance to build
   peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict,
   disasters and the impact of climate change.
   
   Read more
   
    * * ABOUT
        
        * Who we are
        * History
        * Governance and leadership
        * Strategic Plan
        * Funding and donors
   
    * * TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
        
        * Ethical culture
        * Independent evaluation
        * Internal audit and investigations
        * Performance management and accountability
   
    * * PARTNERSHIPS
        
        * Our partners

 * Our work
   Back
   
   
   OUR WORK
   
   We span a broad range of activities, bringing life-saving assistance in
   emergencies and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods to achieve a
   world with zero hunger.
   
   Read more
   
    * * ABOUT HUNGER
        
        * Ending hunger
        * Conflict and hunger
        * A global food crisis
        * WFP and the SDGs
      
      * SAVING LIVES
        
        * Emergency relief
        * Food assistance
        * Humanitarian support and services
        * Supply chain
   
    * * CHANGING LIVES
        
        * Asset creation
        * Cash and market support
        * Climate action
        * Ending malnutrition
        * Food systems
        * Gender equality
        * Resilience building
        * School-based programmes
        * Smallholder farmers support
        * Sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems
   
    * * SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTS
        
        * Country capacity strengthening
        * Social protection
        * South-South cooperation
      
      * INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
        
        * Innovation and technology

 * Where we work
   Back
   
   
   WHERE WE WORK
   
   We work in over 120 countries and territories, combining emergency assistance
   with long-term development while adapting our activities to the context and
   challenges of each location and its people.
   
   Read more
   
    * * COUNTRIES
        
        * Afghanistan
        * Algeria
        * Angola
        * Armenia
        * Bangladesh
        * Benin
        * Bhutan
        * Bolivia
        * Burkina Faso
        * Burundi
        * Cambodia
        * Cameroon
        * The Caribbean
        * Central African Republic
        * Chad
        * China
        * Colombia
        * Congo
        * Cuba
        * Côte d'Ivoire
        * Democratic Republic of the Congo
        * Djibouti
        * Dominican Republic
        * DPR Korea
        * Ecuador
        * Egypt
        * El Salvador
        * Eswatini
        * Ethiopia
        * Gambia
        * Ghana
        * Guatemala
        * Guinea
        * Guinea-Bissau
        * Haiti
        * Honduras
        * India
        * Indonesia
        * Iran
        * Iraq
        * Jordan
        * Kenya
        * Kyrgyz Republic
        * Laos
        * Lebanon
        * Lesotho
        * Liberia
        * Libya
        * Madagascar
        * Malawi
        * Mali
        * Mauritania
        * Moldova
        * Mozambique
        * Myanmar
        * Namibia
        * Nepal
        * Nicaragua
        * Niger
        * Nigeria
        * The Pacific
        * Pakistan
        * Palestine
        * Peru
        * Philippines
        * Rwanda
        * Sao Tome and Principe
        * Senegal
        * Sierra Leone
        * Somalia
        * South Sudan
        * Sri Lanka
        * Sudan
        * Syria
        * Tajikistan
        * Tanzania
        * Timor-Leste
        * Togo
        * Tunisia
        * Türkiye
        * Uganda
        * Ukraine
        * Venezuela
        * Yemen
        * Zambia
        * Zimbabwe
   
    * * EMERGENCIES
        
        * Afghanistan
        * Central Sahel
        * Democratic Republic of the Congo
        * Ethiopia
        * Haiti
        * Lebanon
        * Mozambique
        * Myanmar
        * North Eastern Nigeria
        * Somalia
        * Southern Africa Drought
        * South Sudan
        * State of Palestine
        * Sudan
        * Syria
        * Ukraine
        * Yemen

 * Get involved
   Back
   
   
   GET INVOLVED
   
   There is a variety of ways in which people can support WFP’s mission to
   eliminate hunger, from making a donation to bringing your expertise to our
   work on the frontlines.
   
   Read more
   
    * * INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS
        
        * Donate
        * Support us
        * Play Freerice
        * ShareTheMeal app
      
      * COMPANIES AND START-UPS
        
        * Apply for the Innovation Challenge
   
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        * Non-governmental organizations
        * Private sector
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        * Clusters and multistakeholder partnerships
        * Academia and think tanks
        * Goodwill ambassadors, advocates and high-level supporters

 * Media & resources
   Back
   
   
   MEDIA & RESOURCES
   
   Read more
   
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        * Multimedia content
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        * Media contacts
   
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        * Publications
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