---
title: "People Are Starving: Sybiha Says Residents in Oleshky Survive on Grass and Weeds"
description: "Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported a critical humanitarian crisis in occupied Oleshky, stating that residents left without food or water survive on grass and weeds."
date: 2026-09-26T08:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/people-are-starving-sybiha-says-oleshky-survive-on-grass
tags: [oleshky, ukraine, humanitarian-crisis, russia-occupation, un]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# People Are Starving: Sybiha Says Residents in Oleshky Survive on Grass and Weeds

![Humanitarian crisis and starvation in occupied Oleshky, Kherson region](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/26/ludi-golodaut-sibiga-rasskazal-pro-oleshki/ludi-golodaut-sibiga-rasskazal-pro-oleshki-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- People in occupied Oleshky are forced to eat grass and weeds due to severe hunger.
- Delivery of food, medicine, and humanitarian evacuation are completely blocked in the town.
- The population of Oleshky has dropped from 24,000 to 2,000, including about 50 children.
- Ukraine demands immediate intervention from the UN and ICRC to establish humanitarian corridors.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has made an alarming statement regarding the critical humanitarian situation in the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. According to him, civilians remaining in the town are facing the threat of starvation and are forced to survive by eating grass and weeds. The situation is aggravated by a complete lack of medical care, clean water, and electricity, putting the lives of everyone remaining there at risk, including about fifty children.

### Humanitarian Disaster and Consequences of Occupation

The occupation of Oleshky has continued since 2022, but the humanitarian situation sharply deteriorated after the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in June 2023. At that time, the town suffered massive flooding, and the occupation authorities hindered rescue operations, permitting evacuation only for those possessing Russian passports. Over the course of the full-scale conflict, the town's population has dropped from 24,000 to approximately 2,000 people.

### Contradictory Data

While official Ukrainian and international monitoring missions document a severe humanitarian crisis, a complete food blockade, and the threat of famine in Oleshky, representatives of the occupation administration routinely attempt to deny the scale of the disaster or blame logistical problems on the Ukrainian side. However, independent accounts from escapees and human rights defenders confirm the systemic nature of the catastrophe and the mortal dangers civilians face.

### Threats to the Civilian Population

 In addition to the lack of food and medicine, the situation in Oleshky is complicated by constant drone attacks. According to the Ukrainian side, Russian FPV drones purposefully target civilians, turning any attempt to go outside or leave the danger zone into a mortal risk. Evacuation from the town remains blocked by the occupation forces.### Calls to the International Community

Official Kyiv is urging the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other relevant international institutions to immediately use their mandates to ensure unhindered humanitarian access and establish safe corridors. The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized that statements of deep concern cannot save human lives, and international mechanisms must be put into practical action.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Люди голодают: Сибига рассказал, как в Олешках выживают на траве и сорняках](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zmusheni-vizhivati-travi-ta-bur-yanah-sibiga-1790411273.html) - Заявление главы МИД Украины о критической гуманитарной ситуации в Олешках.
- [Сибига вспомнил на Совбезе ООН про Олешки: РФ воспроизводит преступления прошлого и обрекает ...](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1209027.html) - Освещение темы кризиса в Олешках на заседании Совета Безопасности ООН.
- [«Ад на земле»: оккупация довела Олешки до катастрофы — тысячи людей голодают, а беглецы ...](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/ad-na-zemle-okkupatsiya-dovela-oleshki-do-katastrofy-tysyachi-lyudey-golodayut-a-begletsy-pogibayut-ot-min-i-bpla-3175988.html) - Свидетельства о блокаде, голоде и угрозах для гражданских лиц в Олешках.
- [«Услышьте крик о помощи». Сибига в ООН сравнил устроенную РФ гуманитарную катастрофу в Олешках ...](https://nv.ua/ukraine/events/golod-v-oleshkah-sibiga-rasskazal-v-oon-o-gumanitarnom-krizise-ustroennom-rf-na-hersonshchine-50644058.html) - Подробности выступления Сибиги о гуманитарном кризисе на Херсонщине.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the humanitarian situation in Oleshky?
**A:** A humanitarian disaster is unfolding: due to a strict blockade and lack of food, residents are forced to eat grass and weeds, while electricity, water, and medical care are completely unavailable.

### Q: How many people remain in Oleshky under occupation?
**A:** Before the full-scale invasion, about 24,000 people lived in the town, while today approximately 2,000 residents remain, including about 50 children.

### Q: What measures is Ukraine taking internationally?
**A:** Ukraine is raising the issue of the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky at the UN Security Council, the OSCE, and the UN General Assembly, demanding access to the town and safe evacuation.