People rescued in Kherson, Ukraine, after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. 8 juin 2023
War in Ukraine and floods: the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs deplores an “intolerable” situation.
Four days after the explosion of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, the water level is beginning to drop in Kherson. According to the Ukrainian regional administration, 35 localities remain flooded on the right bank, while the water level has dropped by half a meter in one day.
According to the authorities, over 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of towns. While awaiting evacuation, some people are forced to take refuge on the roofs of their homes.
Despite the rising waters, the war continues, with its share of bombardments. An “intolerable” situation for Denise Brown, head of the UN’s Ukrainian Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“More than 700 people have had to leave” Bilozerka, near Kherson, she declared on Friday.
“Humanitarian aid has been provided from day one. Food and water have arrived. Our teams are on the ground, helping the community and local authorities. This community was literally hit by the bombings. And now the floods”, she lamented.
With Ukraine’s Western allies suspecting Russia of having blown up the dam, Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a commission to combat the consequences of the floods.
According to the Norwegian seismological institute Norsar, an “explosion” originating in the area of the Kakhovka dam was detected at the time of its destruction on Tuesday, although the institute declined to attribute an origin to the blast, which had a magnitude of between 1 and 2.