Two Days After Nova Kakhovka Dam Destruction, Mercy Corps Warns Dangers to Civilians are Increasing, with Elderly and People with Disabilities Stranded in Flood Zone
KYIV - Two days after the catastrophic destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, Mercy Corps is warning that the dangers to civilians are only increasing.
We are concerned about reports that the most vulnerable in the flood zone, including older people and people with disabilities, remain stranded in high waters. Contaminated water and unexploded ordinances dislodged by the flooding pose a grave and lethal danger to those stuck in Kherson and other flooded areas.
Samir Chalhoub, Mercy Corps Regional Policy & Advocacy Advisor for Ukraine says:
“The dangers to civilians in the flooded areas are mounting by the hour. As we speak with our partners in Kherson, we are hearing stories of elderly people and people with disabilities stuck in high waters, unable to escape. There is no safe drinking water, with contamination putting the most vulnerable at high risk of health complications.”
“We are also hearing reports of unexploded ordinances such as landmines being dislodged by the flooding, posing an immediate and lethal risk to those who remain.
“The devastation is clear, and we are working with our Ukrainian partners to respond as quickly as we can.
“International humanitarian law must be respected and civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times.”
Mercy Corps is present in Odesa and Mykolaiv, supporting national organizations providing humanitarian and emergency cash assistance in areas impacted by the dam break.
About Mercy Corps in Ukraine
Mercy Corps has been responding in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022. The team is providing emergency assistance to refugees in neighboring countries and people displaced inside Ukraine so they can meet their basic survival needs. We also fund local organizations that know their community best and are working quickly to address their most urgent needs. Mercy Corps and its partners have reached more than 2 million people in Ukraine and neighboring countries with emergency cash, food, psychosocial support, information campaigns and other urgent assistance.