The UN warned Tuesday that the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could spark an environmental disaster and have dire humanitarian consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. An attack on the major Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine unleashed a torrent of water that flooded a small city, inundated two dozen villages, and sparked the evacuation of 17,000 people. “We are gravely concerned about the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, … and the severe humanitarian impact on hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the front line,” the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said. The UN’s International Organization for Migration meanwhile lamented the severe damage to vital infrastructure and warned of “an environmental disaster looming”. “Given the effect on water supplies and the likelihood of flooding, waterborne diseases pose a serious threat,” it warned.

Source: Punch June 07, 2023 00:57 UTC