UN: 16 thousand people affected by the collapse of the Kahovka dam

UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo gave an assessment on the latest situation after the Kahovka dam and hydroelectric power plant (HES) impacted the Kherson region of Ukraine yesterday.

Noting that the inundation of settlements in the region with the collapse of the dam is terrible, Mantoo said: “In the areas controlled by the Ukrainian government, approximately 16,000 people were affected by the floods, 1995 people were evacuated or abandoned from the region (as of 08:00 in the morning) and hundreds of thousands of people do not have access to safe drinking water reported by the authorities”, used his statements.

Mantoo noted that thousands more people in areas under temporary Russian military control, who have no access to humanitarian aid organizations, were affected by the incident.

Stating that UNHCR contributed to the work carried out in the region under the leadership of the government, local authorities and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Mantoo said: “UNHCR and its partner organizations are currently conducting a damage assessment to understand the extent of the impact of the flood. However, access to the area remains extremely difficult due to the risk of heavy flooding and floating landmines in the affected areas.” he used his statements.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Yesterday it was announced that the Russian-controlled Kahovka dam and hydroelectric power station was hit by bombs in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. It was announced that the region is facing a major environmental disaster due to flooding. Ukraine and Russia made statements blaming each other for the dam hit.