UN requests denied
Moscow is to block access to flood plains
06/19/2023, 00:57
After the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, the United Nations tried to provide humanitarian aid, but they said they were denied access to areas controlled by Moscow.
The United Nations has accused Russia of continuing to block humanitarian aid shipments to Moscow-controlled areas affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. “The government of the Russian Federation has so far refused our request for access to the areas temporarily under its military control,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown said in a statement.
The Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, located in Russian-occupied territory, was partially destroyed on June 6. Huge amounts of water escaped and flooded large areas controlled by Russia and Ukraine. Thousands of people had to be brought to safety. At the same time, fears of a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe grew.
The UN will “continue to do everything it can to reach all people – including those suffering as a result of the recent dam destruction – who urgently need life-saving assistance, wherever they are,” Brown said. “We urge the Russian authorities to honor their obligations under international humanitarian law,” Brown added.
Almost two weeks after the destruction of the dam and the resulting floods, the death toll is at least 45. Ukraine spoke of 16 dead and 31 missing on Saturday. The authorities deployed by Moscow in the Russian-occupied areas of the region had recently reported 29 fatalities. Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of being responsible for the collapse of the dam.