The suffering inflicted on civilians by the floods following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam comes on top of 15 months of intense shelling and military hostilities in the area. ICRC teams have been working hand-in-hand with local actors and authorities over the past several days to serve emerging needs, with a particular focus on access to water and mine safety.

Tens of thousands of people on both banks will suffer direct and indirect consequences. The URCS has been among the first responders since day one to evacuate civilians from flooded areas. Other responders include SESU, the national police, Vodokanal, and other state authorities. While the ICRC is not on the front page of first responders, the ICRC has been supporting their emergency response capacities of them, especially since February 2022.

The ICRC is ready to respond on both sides of the river and has reiterated our offer of emergency help for the affected people. In areas where we do not currently have access or the necessary permissions to bring assistance to affected communities, we are consistently extending our support and asking to bring in critical aid.

To know more about our response to the Nova Kakhovka dam destruction, we invite you to download our: ICRC response to NK dam destruction pager.

For more information, consult our press release in Ukrainian.