The UN reiterated this Monday the appeal to Russia to allow access to the areas under its control of humanitarian aid for those affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, in southern Ukraine, on June 6.
“Aid cannot be denied to those who need it,” Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown said in a statement, urging Russian authorities to act “in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.”
He recalled that the UN contacted the governments of Ukraine and Russia regarding the effective provision of humanitarian aid after the destruction of the dam that caused floods, deaths and disappearances.
But the Russian authorities “have so far rejected our request for access to areas under their temporary military control,” he added, saying the United Nations “will remain engaged” in seeking access.
According to UN data, at least 80 towns in the region were partially or totally flooded due to the failure of the dam.
“The UN will continue to do everything in its power to reach all people – including those suffering as a result of the recent destruction of the dam – who need urgent help to save their lives, wherever they are,” he reiterated.
The Russian authorities raise today to 35 the death toll from the floods caused by the destruction of a dam in Kakhovka, on the Dnieper River.
“Unfortunately, the death toll has risen to 35,” wrote the head of the Russian occupation in the Kherson region, Andrei Alekseyenko, on Telegram, according to the EFE agency.
On Saturday, the Russians had announced 29 dead and the Ukrainian authorities 16.
According to the latest data from the Russian administration, which controls the Kherson region on the left bank of the Dnieper, 7,800 people have been evacuated from the flooded areas, of which some 1,900 are in temporary accommodation points.
Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, built on the Dnieper River in the 1950s.
Hundreds of square kilometers downstream were inundated, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and raising fears of a humanitarian and environmental disaster.
The dam was captured by Russian forces shortly after they invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Subsequently, Ukraine recaptured the city of Kherson, on the right bank of the Dnieper, but to the south, on the left bank of the river, control remains in the hands of Russian troops.
Ukraine accused Russian forces of destroying the dam to stage a counteroffensive, and Russia blamed the incident on Ukrainian shelling.
No independent source has yet been able to say what caused the dam, which is located in the Russian-occupied zone, to burst.
Source: TSF
