The destruction of a dam in Ukraine causes a lack of drinking water and increases the risk of diseases

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam on Tuesday threatens to become an imminent environmental disaster.

In an interview with UN News, the spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Olivia Headon, said from Kyiv that the agency, together with other humanitarian partners, quickly sent supplies of clean water to areas that are receiving evacuees, “and also trying to get them to areas in the critical zone, on the shores of the Dnipro river.

Some 17,000 people are in the immediate critical area at risk of flooding, but only about 1,000 have been evacuated away from the damsince, according to the Organization, most of them want to stay close to their homes.

“This attack has endangered thousands of lives, caused severe environmental damage and put further pressure on response services in a country already coping with the humanitarian consequences of more than a year of war,” he said. the General Director of the Organization, António Vitorino.

Kherson is still in the recovery phase from the fighting

The city of Kherson, still recovering from heavy fighting in late 2022, is in the course of the dam and is already partially flooded. Residents of the affected communities have been ordered to evacuate the area and the Ukrainian authorities have indicated that more than 16,000 people are in the “critical zone” on the western bank of the Dnipro river, controlled by Ukraine.

“Public infrastructure should never be a target. Yet now, innocent civilians not only live in a deadly flood zone, but also face severe shortages of clean water and critical power supplies in the coming weeks, as the humanitarian situation worsens,” added Vitorino.

Danger to the water supply in Crimea

In addition to the threat to people and environmental damage, the proximity of the dam to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and the front line, a situation that raises great security concerns. The incident is also expected to affect the water supply in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine.

Following initial assessments, the Organization considers drinking water and food to be among the priority needs. In coordination with local authorities, IOM plans to expand its support for water supply and sanitation, the distribution of emergency items, support for shelters and the provision of health care.

Considering the effect on the water supply and the likelihood of flooding, waterborne diseases pose a serious threat. IOM stands ready to support infection prevention and control measures, for example, through the distribution of cholera kits.

“Despite the devastation caused by the war and the challenges it poses, we must invest in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. While meeting emergency needs, we must also focus on Ukraine’s peaceful future,” Vitorino concluded.

We have yet to discover the true size of the catastrophe

At an emergency meeting of the Security Council held on Tuesday night, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said that “the magnitude of the catastrophe” in and around the Kherson region will only become apparent in the coming days.”

Griffiths stated that the breach of the dam would have “serious and far-reaching consequences for thousands of people in southern Ukraine, on both sides of the front line, in the loss of homes, food, drinking water and livelihoods.” .