100 days since Kakhovka dam disaster: People facing water shortages, housing woes and blackout fears

People impacted by the Kakhovka dam explosion in Eastern and Southern Ukraine are still struggling to rebuild their lives 100 days after the devastating incident, which left close to 700,000 people in the grips of a humanitarian crisis.

“100 days since the disaster, people are struggling with water shortages, they have unsafe drinking water and desperately need their damaged homes repaired.  Many are also worried about a return to the dark days of blackouts and no heat this winter following the energy infrastructure attacks that were so prevalent last year,” said Cristina Falconi, Area Manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ukraine.

The dam was breached in the early hours of 6 June causing extensive flooding, water shortages, drought, and widespread environmental damage to several regions close to the Dnipro River including Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

The government of Ukraine along with civil society groups, and national and international humanitarian organizations, are working to establish long-term solutions for water pipelines and repairs of homes. While there have been some initial results, the rehabilitation of pipelines is a complex operation, particularly in areas close to active hostilities. This means civilians living in villages could end up facing winter without water and warmth.

The fear of displacement is also a reality for some families. Many will choose to leave their damaged homes over the winter, but many elderly residents will choose to remain despite the risks:

“I stayed here when the war began. I stayed here when the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was seized. I will not leave, not even now,” said Lyudmila, 59, from Nikopol.

“We must ensure that vulnerable populations are not left living in freezing cold, damp-ridden homes and that they do not fall unnecessarily into ill-health. We need continued coordinated efforts to ensure the basic needs of affected communities are met this winter and that they are not forgotten,” said Falconi.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of already vulnerable civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout this war.