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Emergency Response: Ukraine Provides Drinking Water to Flood-Affected Areas After Dam Collapse

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Kasturi Chakraborty
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Streets are flooded in Kherson, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, after the Kakhovka dam was blown up.
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Image Credit: (AP Photo)

As a result of a dam collapse in southern Ukraine, authorities are now swiftly delivering drinking water supplies to the affected regions. Additionally, officials are considering relocation options for the thousands of residents who depended on the breached reservoir situated on the Dnieper River, which serves as a front line in the ongoing 15-month war.

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Nearly 3,000 individuals have been displaced from flooded regions on both sides of the river, as confirmed by officials. However, the full extent of the disaster is yet to be determined in the affected area, which previously housed over 60,000 residents. Authorities in the Russian-controlled parts of the Kherson region report that around 15,000 homes have been inundated with water.

Disrupted water supply

The ongoing flooding crisis has sparked discontent among residents of Russian-occupied territories, who lament the sluggish arrival of assistance in their time of need. The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and reservoir, serving as a crucial source of drinking water and irrigation for a vast region in southern Ukraine, are situated within the occupied zone of the Kherson region, controlled by Moscow's forces for the past year.

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Additionally, the dam plays a vital role in supplying water to the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula, a territory seized by Russia in 2014. The division of the Dnieper River places Ukraine on the western bank, while Russia holds control over the lower and more flood-prone eastern side.

(Also Read: Devastating Flooding Submerges Kherson Region in Southern Ukraine)

In the aftermath of a catastrophic dam collapse, scenes of flooded communities and daring rescues from rooftops and by boat evoke images typically associated with natural disasters rather than the ravages of war. The flooding not only poses immediate dangers but also threatens to erode this season's crops, while the depletion of the Kakhovka reservoir foretells future challenges in securing adequate irrigation. A day after the dam's collapse, the cause remains shrouded in uncertainty, with each side pointing fingers at the other for the destruction. Some experts speculate that wartime damage and neglect may have played a role, while others suggest that Russia could have had ulterior military motives for the dam's demise.

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(Also Read: Russian Sabotage Causes Dam Explosion in Ukraine, Urgent Humanitarian Aid Needed)

Dam Collapse: Flooded communities struggle

The population of the affected area is difficult to ascertain, as many residents had already fled the region due to ongoing conflict. However, some individuals courageously chose to remain despite constant shelling and drone attacks. Prior to Russia's invasion in February 2022, the area was home to hundreds of thousands of people, further exacerbating concerns about the number of individuals currently at risk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken swift action by convening officials to address the urgent need for drinking water and develop long-term solutions for the affected settlements. Assessments of the damage to property and the environment in the region are also underway.

(Also Read: Critical Water Shortage Threatens Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant’s Reactor Stability, IAEA Warns)

Water Crisis Emergency Response Flood Relief Ukraine floods Dam Breach
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