Following Major Dam Collapse In Ukraine, Lack Of Drinking Water Becomes International Priority
Collateral damage from the Russia-Ukraine war has now claimed the drinking water of thousands as a major dam in Southern Ukraine was destroyed.
“Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without normal access to drinking water,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, according to the BBC.
Both sides of the conflict initially blamed the other for causing an explosion that destroyed the Kakhovka dam and a nearby hydro-electric power plant, located in a southern region of Ukraine that is occupied by Russian forces. In addition to creating a drinking water crisis, the collapse led to widespread flooding and evacuations for tens of thousands of residents.
“The dam holds back around 18 cubic kilometers of water in the Kakhovka Reservoir, about equal to the Great Salt Lake in the U.S. state of Utah,” CNN reported. “The damage appears to be vast and the potential devastating impact — both upstream and downstream — is worrying. Multiple towns and cities downstream from the dam are at risk of severe flooding and [Ukrainian officials] had previously urged citizens to ‘collect your document and most needed belongings’ and wait for evacuation buses.”
In the immediate aftermath, those who have been displaced or remain in the region appear to be in desperate need of drinking water, first and foremost, among other basic necessities.
“With humanitarian and ecological disasters still unfolding, it’s already clear that tens of thousands of people have been deprived of drinking water, many are homeless, crops are ruined, land mines have been displaced, and the state is set for long-term electricity shortages,” per the Associated Press. “Zelenskyy met with officials on how to provide drinking water to residents.”
One initial solution will be the network of aid workers who are already serving Ukraine as this conflict wears on and continues to put residents throughout the region in peril.
“IOM [The International Organization for Migration] said the dam breach is also expected to affect the water supply to the Russian-occupied region of Crimea and other areas of Ukraine,” the United Nations reported. “Initial assessments by IOM — the largest humanitarian organization in Ukraine — indicate that drinking water and food are priority needs, and in coordination with local authorities, the agency plans to expand water and sanitation support.”
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