Aid group provides drinking water after Kakhovska dam blast

In the village of Novokairy in the Kherson region of Ukraine, volunteers from the humanitarian group “People in Need” can be seen unloading thousands of litres of drinking water from a lorry.  

The area was hit by huge floods after the attack on the Kakhovska dam.

Here and in three other villages the team of charity workers distributed 20,736 litres of bottled water.

This international NGO has been working in Ukraine since 2003 and started humanitarian actions in the east of the country after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

With 10 offices, four large warehouses and 500 associates in Ukraine, they are now providing drinking water to the flood-ravaged area, where clean water is in short supply.

Petr Drbohlav is the charity’s regional director for the eastern partnership and says they cannot do as much as they would like to. 

“Our current assistance focuses on work on the right bank,” he says.

“On the left bank, where the needs are greatest, we will unfortunately not have access. The Russian authorities will not let us work there, nor will other humanitarian organisations.”

People are using any means possible to transport the water to their homes.

Nearby, a man can be seen loading water bottles onto a motorbike with the help of his young daughter.  

But much more clean water is still needed. The Kherson regional administration estimates about 500,000 litres of water is needed every day.

According to the local authorities, residents need to wait several days for the water to subside and to be able to clear the area of landmines released by the flood waters. 

Only then will humanitarian groups know what is most needed and when.