HUMANITARIAN WAR PROFITEERING

Nestle plans to reopen Ukrainian factories and warehouses to help boost food supplies

ujamal@businessinsider.com (Urooba Jamal) 

 A woman goes shopping at a supermarket in Lviv, Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2022. 

Chen Wenxian/Xinhua via Getty Images

Nestle plans to reopen facilities that it shuttered February 24, Reuters reported.
A Nestle spokesperson told Reuters that reopening parts of supply the chain was "partially possible".
Announcement comes amid reports of dwindling food supplies in some Ukrainian cities.

Swiss food giant Nestle is planning to restarting some operations in Ukraine in order to support the delivery of essential food and beverage supplies.

The company shut down its factories and warehouses in Ukraine on February 24 after Russia ordered its troops into the country, according to Reuters, which first reported the group's plan to reopen.

"We are trying to reopen parts of the supply chain and distribute to retailers where it is safe to do so. The latest information is this was partially possible," a Nestle spokesperson told the news agency.

Nestle did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

With fierce fighting continuing a week after Russian troops advanced into Ukraine, supermarkets are starting to run low on food stocks in the capital of Kyiv and other cities in the country, according to reports. Images show empty bread shelves and a shortage of fruit and vegetables.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's interior ministry said around 40,000 people have limited access to food and water in eastern parts of the country, i News reported.

Nestle says it plans to reopen facilities in central and west Ukraine, Reuters reported. The firm operates three factories and has about 5,500 employees in the country, according to the company's website. Those facilities manufacture items including confectionery and coffee, food sauces, and cooking products.

The group told Reuters that, while the bulk of its products are produced locally, some raw materials like coffee and cocoa have to be imported.

A commodity trader who spoke with the agency said that shipping lines aren't currently transporting goods to Ukraine, and the coffee that he had destined for the country has had to be redirected.

Coca-Cola and Danish brewer Carlsberg are among other international brands that have shuttered operations in Ukraine following the outbreak of the conflict, Fortune reported.
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