Nova Kakhovka response: we will immediately distribute 120,000 litres of drinking water to Ukrainians affected by the dam's destruction
Published: Jun 7, 2023 Reading time: 2 minutesFollowing the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, 37 villages and towns have been partially flooded. On the right bank of the river, which is under the control of the Ukrainian government, 1,335 houses are flooded, according to the local authorities in the Kherson Oblast.
The local authorities say that flooding may affect up to 16,000 families. In addition to the usual flood hazards, landmines, dislocated by the swollen Dnipro River, pose a major threat to life. Local authorities need hundreds of thousands of litres of drinking water to protect the local population as the summer has arrived. Therefore, in close cooperation with local authorities, People in Need will distribute 120,000 litres of drinking water, emergency water storage tanks and 1,000 hygiene kits in the coming days. We are also investigating the possibility of the gradual restoration of water systems and the construction of new water boreholes. We will also offer psychosocial assistance to evacuees.
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Ukrainian authorities expect the water level to peak today, Wednesday, 7 June, and authorities will start pumping water out of flooded after the water peaks later today. As of yesterday evening, 1,328 people had been evacuated from flooded areas. People are leaving mainly for Mykolaiv, Odesa and Koblevo; however, no mandatory evacuation order has been put in place.
"The dam supplied water to millions of people on both sides of the Dnipro River. At the moment, we are in contact with both local authorities and people from the affected areas on the right bank of the river under the control of the Ukrainian government, and we are figuring out how to ensure that they are not left without drinking water," says Petr Drbohlav, Regional Director for Eastern Partnership and the Balkans.
According to local authorities flooding could affect up to 80 towns and villages along the frontline on both sides of the river in the coming days, worsening people's access to drinking water and food. The situation is considerably worse on the left bank—occupied by Russian Federation troops—where humanitarian organisations have no access.
People in Need has been providing humanitarian assistance in Ukraine since 2014. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, we have helped more than a million people directly in Ukraine. We've been helping people access drinking water since the very beginning. We also help Ukrainians seek shelter in neighbouring countries and the Czech Republic.
