FAO, Qatar Fund for Development allocate $10 mln to support rural communities affected by mine risk
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed an agreement worth $10 million to support rural communities affected by potential contamination of agricultural land with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine, the FAO press service reported.
"The programme aims to restore safe use of agricultural land, revitalize livelihoods and strengthen the resilience of farming communities across some of the most severely affected oblasts in southern and eastern Ukraine. The initiative will also contribute to shaping a scalable model that can inform similar recovery efforts in other crisis-affected contexts," the report notes.
The project forms part of a joint initiative between FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) that links mine action with agricultural recovery. Under this partnership, FAO will lead prioritization of needs based on geospatial analysis, soil assessments, land rehabilitation and the restoration of agricultural production, while WFP will oversee non-technical and technical surveying as well as clearance operations. Together, the two agencies provide an integrated pathway from making land safe to enabling farming communities restart cultivation.
"For many rural families in Ukraine, the ability to safely return to their land is the first step toward rebuilding their livelihoods. This partnership with Qatar Fund for Development brings much-needed support to communities living with the daily consequences of landmines and unexploded ordnance contamination," said Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience at FAO. "By combining agricultural technical expertise with mine action assistance, we are helping farming communities regain safe access to their land and rebuild the foundations of a resilient rural economy – an essential contribution not only to Ukraine’s recovery, but also to wider regional and global food security."
Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Director General of QFFD stated, "Our partnership with FAO represents a shared commitment to supporting farming communities in Ukraine whose livelihoods have been disrupted by landmine contamination. Through this programme, we aim to restore safe access to agricultural land and enable thousands of families to resume cultivation, contributing to food security and economic recovery."
The programme targets some of the most severely affected oblasts in southern and eastern Ukraine and focuses on identifying priority agricultural areas, assessing soil health and supporting farmers in safely resuming cultivation. Activities will include advanced satellite and geospatial analysis to map damage and contamination, along with comprehensive soil testing to evaluate safety, contamination risks and restoration needs. The initiative will build upon national expertise by training young scientists and strengthening local institutions, while promoting good agricultural practices for land rehabilitation.
Alongside these technical efforts, livelihood assistance will be provided through provision of agricultural inputs, equipment and construction materials through vouchers, enabling more than 3 500 rural families and 100 small-scale farmers to restart production on safe land. Once functioning at full scale, the intervention is expected to contribute meaningfully to food security, strengthen livelihoods and income generation as well as long-term recovery for rural communities whose farmland remains inaccessible or unsafe due to mines and unexploded ordnance.
This new partnership builds on FAO’s broader support to Ukraine’s agricultural sector since 2022, including emergency assistance, mine action coordination, land rehabilitation, production recovery and the restoration of critical rural infrastructure. By addressing both the humanitarian and economic consequences of mine contamination, the programme strengthens the foundations for recovery and lays the groundwork for sustainable development in the affected regions.
Ukraine remains one of the most mine-affected countries in the world, with up to 138 500 sq km affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war. The area is equivalent to the size of Greece – a scale that illustrates the magnitude of the challenge for farmers whose fields remain unsafe or inaccessible. Mine contamination continues to restrict access to farmland, reduce production capacity and slow the recovery of rural economies, underscoring the need for sustained international support to restore safe cultivation and safeguard national food production as well as economic recovery.