
Czechia will send humanitarian help to areas of Ukraine flooded by the water from the Nova Kakhovka dam
07.06.2023 / 20:36 | Aktualizováno: 04.12.2023 / 17:48
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Czech Fire and Rescue Service and the Slovak Rescue Service, has allocated extraordinary humanitarian aid for the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine, affected by the flood wave from the destroyed Kakhovka reservoir. The Ukrainian side requested this aid from European countries under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský approved the provision of extraordinary aid in the amount of ten million crowns to assist with the evacuation of civilians and the consequences of the dam's destruction.
"The attack on Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka Dam over residential areas is comparable to the use of weapons of mass destruction against civilians. Russia continues to pus the boundaries of its aggression. This brutality will be condemned and punished," said Minister Lipavský.
The main task of Ukrainian authorities now is to evacuate residents from communities immediately threatened by flooding. Currently, this concerns 30 communities with a population of more than 40 000. In the event of the complete destruction of the reservoir dam, it is estimated that the flood wave could affect up to 80 communities. Local rescue teams and other organizations have already evacuated 1 700 residents, including areas still under Russian fire.
The Ukrainian side is currently interested mainly in obtaining tankers for transporting water, but also boats, vehicles that can move on muddy terrain, high-capacity pumps, and other equipment for water pumping. They also need tools for intercepting around 150 tons of machine oil that leaked into the water after the reservoir's destruction and contaminated the Dnieper River to the Black Sea.
Czechia will primarily send floating pumps, flood barriers and bags, power plants, as well as boats, material for emergency survival, and temporary homes worth over 10 million crowns. The Czech Firefighters and Rescue Service will provide transportation of humanitarian aid to the humanitarian hub.