WHO says cholera risk present in Ukraine

Asked about cholera, WHO technical officer Teresa Zakaria said that the risk of an outbreak was present since the pathogen exists in the environment. The WHO said it was working with Ukraine's health ministry to put mechanisms in place to ensure that vaccines can be imported if necessary.

We are trying to address quite a wide range of health risks actually associated with the floods, including trauma to drowning, to waterborne diseases, but also all the way to the potential implications of disruption to chronic treatment, she said.

The Kakhovka Dam of the Dnipro River separates Russian and Ukrainian forces and people have been affected on both sides of its banks. Ryan said WHO has offered assistance to Russian-controlled areas but that its operational presence was mainly on the Ukrainian side.

We will be glad to be able to access those areas and be able to monitor health as we would in most cases wish to do, he said, adding that it would be for the Ukrainian and Russian authorities to agree how that could be achieved.