Brussels, Belgium, 27 June 2023 —  The support of the European Union (EU) has enabled the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to quickly mobilise resources in response to Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam explosion on 6 June. The destruction of critical infrastructure exacerbated already acute humanitarian needs in Kherson and surrounding areas.

In anticipation of potential risks and further displacement, for over eight months the IRC has been working with communities in Kherson and the neighbouring oblasts. With the support of the European Commission and other donors, we have been providing financial assistance, responding to the basic needs and ensuring that conflict-affected people are protected from harm.

To bolster its response, the IRC has developed a robust network of partners, including local NGOs, community centres, and volunteer networks in the regions. These partnerships play a pivotal role in expanding the IRC's current activities and facilitating rapid needs assessment to provide the most effective response to the ongoing disaster. 

In the aftermath of the dam explosion, the IRC managed to quickly expand its EU-funded protection activities in Odesa and Mykolaiv to address the basic needs of those displaced by the flooding.

Giulano Stochino Weiss, IRC’s Rapid Response Coordinator, said:

“The dam explosion triggered severe flooding of Dnipro’s riverside areas, causing severe losses among the civilian population. Over the past year, countless people in the region have survived under constant shelling, without adequate access to medicines or electricity. The breach means thousands more have lost their homes, and had their hopes of returning to normality brutally shattered.

“It is the most vulnerable populations who bear the brunt of this explosion, exacerbating their already precarious living conditions and further endangering their well-being. For the IRC and other humanitarian actors, the main priority right now is maintaining unfettered access to those in need of assistance. We are concerned that the receding flood water will likely create new challenges for people already facing humanitarian needs in Ukraine.

“Beyond the human cost of explosion, the attack contributes further to Ukraine’s environmental damage, now estimated at more than $50 billion. The destruction of major infrastructure continues to pose challenges in delivering and receiving aid.“