In January of this year, I wrote a blog post about a bakery in Kyiv, Ukraine and how impressed I am about the resilience of the people in Ukraine. I started baking the bakery’s signature and most popular bread, the Flaxseed Sourdough Bread. It has become the most sold bread in my little bakery as well. Maybe that is because this bread is truly delicious or because many of you decided to buy it to support the Ukraine (I donate $2 per Flaxseed Sourdough Bread to the Disasters Emergency Committee that provides food, clean water, medical care, cash and so much more to the people of Ukraine).
War is like a natural disaster
When I read the news about this war that I had hoped would be over by now, I feel depressed and helpless in the face of the human suffering and destruction of the country. Reuter reported in March that about one quarter of agricultural land has been polluted with dangerous toxins such as mercury and arsenic from fuel and munitions. The land is also degraded by craters and trenches, the soil is compacted from tanks, and littered by landmines and unexploded shells. Experts estimate it may take decades to fix the damage done. This includes the destruction of farm buildings, equipment, and the infrastructure such as irrigation canals, crop silos and port terminals. It is estimated that production of grain in Ukraine will drop by 30%. Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of Europe and is one of the top grain exporters in the world. Africa and the Middle East are especially dependent on Ukrainian grain, but the shortage impacts prices around the world, including here in the US.
If this wasn’t enough bad news, the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam near Kherson this week is a new disaster for people and agriculture. Low lying areas have been flooded impacting 40k+ people and washing away and inundating large areas of agricultural land. As is not uncommon with floods, industrial oil and solvents have leaked into the river and made the water unusable for people or agriculture. The destruction leaves hundreds of thousands of people without clean drinking water and farmers without irrigation.
The good news is that I collected another $62 from sales of the Ukrainian Flaxseed Sourdough bread and additional donations. I submitted the donation to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal early this week before the extent of the Dam destruction became known. I am glad I am able to contribute (thanks to all of your contributions) and will continue to do so with your help.
All together, I have been able to donate $187 to the people of Ukraine this year. It is not much considering how much is needed to restore the country. It is clear that this will be a long process and can only fully start when this war comes to an end. Let’s hope this will be soon.