UN agencies in Ukraine assess impact of dam

On September 14, 2020, a photo taken by the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States, shows the exterior of the United Nations. UNITED NATIONS - Representatives of various UN agencies in Ukraine were in Kherson on Wednesday to assess the impact of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam and coordinate the humanitarian response.

Representatives from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsUN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as five UN agencies and some nongovernmental organizations were on the ground to conduct the assessment, said Stephane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

They say the disaster is likely to get worse in the coming hours, as water levels are still rising, and more villages and towns are being flooded. On Tuesday, about 1,500 people left their flooded homes, the International Organization for Migration said, and more people were evacuated on Wednesday. Most of them are staying in Mykolaiv city, which is close to their homes, the spokesman said.

Water access is a major concern. The reservoir, formed by the dam, is a crucial source of drinking water, and it is causing a rapid drop in levels. In addition, flooding can also lead to contamination of water sources, increasing health risks, he told a daily press briefing.

The Food and Agriculture Organization warns that the dam's destruction will likely affect food security, as thousands of acres of agricultural land have been flooded, destroying recently planted crops. The dam's destruction decimated the irrigation systems in the Dnipro, Kherson, and Zaporizhizia regions, officials said.

On the other hand, the United Nations and humanitarian partners are working nonstop to provide affected communities with the assistance they urgently need. On Tuesday, the agency distributed nearly 12,000 bottles of water, more than 1,700 kits with essential supplies for children on the move, and 10,000 water purification tablets to five municipalities in Kherson and the city of Mykolaiv, the spokesman said.

Australia has agreed to set up a'reliable' warning network to keep people safe from floods.

Humanitarian organizations are supporting and supporting authorities in the evacuations and helping coordinate the accommodation of people arriving from Kherson in transit centers. They are also delivering hygiene products and other basic items to Mykolaiv and Odessa for the evacuees there, he said.

Cash, psychosocial and health support, and recreation activities for children at the Kherson train station are also part of the ongoing response. The work will be continued in the next few days, he said.