Kakhovka Dam Disaster Has Devastating Impact on Thousands in Eastern Ukraine
By Chloe Fuller
The Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine was destroyed in the early hours of June 6, 2023, impacting thousands of Ukrainians already facing significant challenges because of the war. The collapse of the dam caused extensive flooding along the lower Dnipro River in the Kherson region, destroying neighboring villages of the Mykolaiv region, flooding farmland, and cutting off power and clean water supplies. According to United Nations Ukraine, the flooding “poses a significant threat to nearly 80 settlements, potentially affecting around 100,000 inhabitants directly, while up to one million people could lose access to drinking water.” UN Ukraine also warns of the long-term impact of this disaster. “It will have severe, long-term impacts on Ukraine’s environment, economy and society, including possible displacement and migration of population, and is likely to cast a dark shadow over the country for decades to come.”
The Kidsave team has been on the ground in Mykolaiv and Kherson since the first day of the flood, helping with evacuation and providing essential medical and humanitarian aid supplies. Our team has pulled together a fleet of 16 boats to reach areas that are currently covered with water. Kidsave volunteers are actively delivering barrels of clean drinking water, food supplies, generators, water filtration systems, essential medical supplies, and other urgent humanitarian aid to local villages that are suffering.
Today the floodwaters are receding, but the damage from the flooding will have an impact for months to come. Local residents encounter new challenges every day – family homes have been completely washed away, furniture is damp and destroyed, and personal items are still being unearthed from piles of mud. Many families in the affected villages do not have a bed to sleep on or a pot to cook food for their children.
While these brave and resilient civilians work hard to put the pieces of their lives back together, new challenges have arisen as they clean away the mud and attempt to repair their homes when possible. Due to bacteria and parasites in the water, many have begun experiencing allergic reactions and other skin irritations. Authorities are warning people about the dangers that lurk in the water. In addition to the bacteria, parasites, and waste floating in the water, reports have been made of mines being dislodged and washed downstream, causing explosions and damage as they go.
Our team is doing our best to help. We are continuing to supply clean drinking water, food, and other essential items, including house repair tools and materials to help begin to rebuild from the devastation. Recently, our team fed over 4,500 people in the Kherson, Afanasivka, Vasylivka and Mykolaiv regions, and we have provided hundreds of gallons of clean drinking water. But there is still much to be done.
You can support this life-saving effort by making a donation.
About Kidsave Ukraine
Kidsave began working in Ukraine in 2016 to find families for orphans and provide mentorship and support to teens aging out of institutional care. We implemented two programs: Family Mentoring, which places orphans and children deprived of parental care with loving Ukrainian families, and Corporate Mentoring, which helps older kids and teens successfully transition from institutional care to independent living. When the invasion began in February 2022, Kidsave’s team on the ground began working to develop a network of volunteers, now known as the Angels of Hope, to provide evacuation assistance and deliver humanitarian aid to those in need. This humanitarian effort has been very successful, with over 30,000 people evacuated and
over 2,000 tons of aid delivered. To learn more about Kidsave’s work in Ukraine, CLICK HERE.
