Ukraine flood disaster: needs grow as long-term effects unfold

Speaking to reporters from Bilozerka, a town on the Dnipro River about 20 kilometers west of Kherson and five kilometers from the front line, Ms. Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said that on Friday, the UN brought us in five-truck convoy to the affected areas, including much-needed drinking water, food and equipment to help rebuild damaged homes.

‘Sad’ residents

Ms Brown has visited the affected areas and said people were completely shocked by the flooding, which occurred in the middle of the night on Tuesday after the dam suffered a major breach. Both Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for its destruction.

He emphasized that the people were “saddened” by the latest tragedy to hit them, but he remained calm, despite them face the “daily shell” – with just a day ago.

Interests are rising

In many places, water not lost however, that is why the impact was hard to assess and the satellite image was “critical”, Ms. Brown said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday that the flooding would continue “for at least a week”.

For time, estimate 17,000 people were affected in the flood area as Ms. Brown. The spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Shabia Mantoo, added that this number could rise to 40,000 as the situation develops.

‘Do my best’

Asked to comment on earlier criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of UN relief work, Ms Brown said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Program (WFP) were bringing it in. applications “from day one” with commercial vehicles and UNHCR and the UN Migration Agency (IOM) are also on the ground.

“I have asked the question to the authorities of Ukraine, ‘Did we get here in time?’ And the answers are yes,” he said.

Mrs. Brown explained that the current situation is very difficult and urgent, and the fact that UN agencies bring relief with commercial vehicles. may have made them invisible to the authorities.

He also recalled his conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday, focusing on “what more we can do together”.

“I’m doing my best to make sure we do our job,” he stressed.

Call for access to Russian-speaking areas

OCHA said on Thursday that the UN was “deeply concerned” about the situation of civilians area under the Russian military control and you have there is no access to the areas in Kherson region.

UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Jeremy Laurence, told reporters on Friday that as humanitarian actors, Human rights monitors cannot enter Russian-occupied territoriesas Russia has repeatedly rejected the Office’s requests on the matter.

He also made an urgent call for access, including a plea for an independent investigation into the exact circumstances of the Kakhovka dam collapse.

Waterborne diseases are on the rise

Humanitarians insist that stagnant water in the flooded was a “major” health concerntaking risks of flu and diarrhea.

UNHCR also points out that sewage, heavy oil and pesticides are mixing with the flood and creating additional health risks.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday about the effects of flooding on sanitation systems and public health services. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted that WHO is supporting the authorities preventing waterborne diseases and to improve the progress of the disease.

WHO organization teams are on the groundconducting health needs assessments, and the ministry office of Ukraine said that in the coming days, additional provisions to strengthen access to health services will be delivered.

Landmines danger

Since the explosives are flying down the river with the flood of water, Ms. Brown said that the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). My expert has been deployed to work with the UN Development Program (UNDP) to assess the risks and have made a map of the most heavily mined areas.

On Thursday, Mrs Brown discussed the situation with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, the Government’s focal point on landmines.

He said that the UN was asked to work closely with Mrs. Svyrydenko to communicate the dangers from unexploded ordnance in the floodwaters to the population and particularly involve UNICEF in spreading the word in schools.

Denise Brown, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine (center), visits Bilozerka, one of the areas worst affected by the floods caused by the Kakhovka Dam.

New concerns for the future

While the immediate impact of the dam’s destruction is staggering, Mrs Brown expressed her concerns about “what the future holds”, amid the destruction of homes, farmland and livestock, the dramatic impact on water and energy supplies and the significant risk of environmental damage. .

To plan for the long-term effects of the disaster, the veteran aid worker said that on Thursday, the UN team met with representatives of the Ukrainian Government, the European Union and the Kyiv School of Business to see the available satellite images and continue lack assessment.