Zelenskyy: Ukrainians at Risk of Homelessness and Disease due to Flooding

Residents in Kherson region’s occupied areas navigate flooded streets, carrying children and pets, while rescuers employ rubber boats to search high-water zones.

_{^{During his visit to the city of Kherson downstream from the dam, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated that the disaster had impacted 80 settlements. (Photo: Reuters)}}

After the destruction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the front lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces, floods have surged across the southern region, leaving tens of thousands of Ukrainians homeless.

In the occupied parts of the Kherson region, residents waded through inundated streets, carrying children, pets, and belongings in plastic bags. Rescuers deployed rubber boats to search areas where the water levels rose above head height, as reported by news agency Reuters.

Amidst the blame game between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia regarding the disaster, Ukraine warned that the devastating flood would result in severe consequences.

Hundreds of thousands of people would be left without access to drinking water, tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land would be submerged, and approximately 500,000 hectares deprived of irrigation would become barren “deserts.”

In a video address, the Ukrainian President expressed uncertainty about the potential loss of life in the Russian-occupied areas due to the flooding, emphasizing the urgent need for a swift and decisive global response to aid the victims.

“The situation in the occupied parts of the Kherson region is incredibly dire. The occupiers have abandoned the people in appalling conditions. They are left without any assistance, without water, and stranded on the rooftops of submerged communities,” stated the Ukrainian President.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov visited Kherson, a city downstream from the collapsed Nova Kakhovka dam. He reported that the disaster had impacted 80 settlements and resulted in the release of chemicals and infectious bacteria into the water.

The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam occurred on Tuesday, coinciding with Ukraine’s preparations for a significant counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion, which is expected to mark the next major phase of the war.

Both sides exchanged accusations for the ongoing shelling in the populated flood zone and issued warnings about the presence of drifting landmines uncovered by the flooding.

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Toshika Chauhan