Destruction of dam displaces thousands as landmines float downstream A critical dam on the frontline of the Ukraine conflict was destroyed on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, on the eve of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. Huge quantities of water surged downriver from the hydroelectric Kakhovka Dam, which holds back the Kakhovka reservoir on the Dnipro river, providing drinking water and electricity to the Dnipro, Kherson and Zaprozhzhia regions in Ukraine.
A critical dam on the frontline of the Ukraine conflict was destroyed and huge quantities of water surged downriver from the hydroelectric Kakhovka Dam, which holds back the Kakhovka reservoir on the Dnipro river, providing drinking water and electricity to the Dnipro, Kherson and Zaprozhzhia regions in Ukraine. The flooding has caused thousands of people to lose their homes overnight, and thousands more have lost access to basic services and drinking water and 1,8852 homes are flooded.
CARE is ready to respond to the urgent needs of families who live downstream of the dam. As part of a recent planning exercise, CARE had created contingency plans for this exact scenario, and we have deployed a Rapid Response team to Kherson to conduct assessments, in coordination with local partners and authorities. CARE partners from the charity organization Vostok-SOS have launched evacuation operations from Kherson to Mykolaiv.
Given the magnitude of this crisis, we anticipate a two-phase response: the initial provision of lifesaving assistance like water purification systems, generators, supplies and shelter materials for people who have been displaced by the flooding, followed by cleaning and rehabilitation of housing and critical infrastructure in the coming weeks and months as the water slowly recedes. With your support, we can ensure the health, safety and dignity of affected families in the region.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
