The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed deep concern about the waning ability of families in embattled areas to find food and also warned that the crisis in Ukraine could have consequences well beyond the country's borders.

"In a year when the world is already facing an unprecedented level of hunger, it's just tragic to see hunger raising its head in what has long been the breadbasket of Europe," said WFP Executive Director David Beasley during a visit to a staging hub set up by the organization on the Polish-Ukrainian border. "The bullets and bombs in Ukraine could take the global hunger crisis to levels beyond anything we've seen before."

Amid a shortage of cash in Ukraine, WFP plans to provide assistance through food distributions, cash, and food vouchers that can be spent in selected shops. 

(With input from WFP)