News Alert: Project HOPE Responds to Kakhovka Dam Flooding in Ukraine
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was destroyed by a series of explosions on June 6, unleashing a torrential flood that engulfed more than 80 settlements in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. The flooding has affected more than 40,000 people, displacing entire communities as water inundated homes and businesses. Health concerns are widespread as the hydropower plant contained industrial chemicals, oils, and lubricants that are now contaminating the Dnipro River and wide swaths of agricultural land, which could have long-term environmental implications. Additionally, the flooding has dislodged landmines that pose a security risk for unsuspecting civilians and aid workers. This has also resulted in an even greater scarcity of potable water throughout the region as the dam and Dnipro River acted as a critical water source for millions of people in Kherson, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Necessities like food, water, hygiene products, power sources, and blankets have become crucial lifelines for both internally displaced individuals and those who remained in their homes.
The global health and humanitarian aid organization Project HOPE’s team in Ukraine — with the support of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) — has continued providing urgent assistance to the affected population of the Kherson region to help them cope with the extensive flooding.
Giorgio Trombatore, Project HOPE Country Director for Ukraine, said:
“Over the past six months, Project HOPE has been one of the few organizations that has maintained a presence in Kherson city, despite continuous shelling that endangers the lives of civilians and creates logistical challenges to providing aid. The extensive flooding caused by the Kakhovka Dam destruction has resulted in even greater humanitarian needs for communities that were already lacking access to basic needs like food, water, and medical care. While Project HOPE will continue to scale up our response in the affected areas to distribute supplies and to mitigate the health risks associated with water contamination, this disaster calls for a more robust and coordinated response from the international community.”
Project HOPE’s response to date includes:
- Delivery of seven truckloads of drinking water (141,140 liters in total) to the residents of Antonivka, Oleksandrivka, Bilozerka, Snihurivka, and Mykolaiv, reaching 11,760 individuals with emergency water
- Delivery of more than 500 hygiene kits to evacuated populations in Odesa
- Delivery of free psychological support from mental health specialists in Project HOPE psychosocial support centers in Odesa and Mykolaiv
Project HOPE has been working in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, supporting health clinics with supplies and medicines, reconstructing medical facilities, training health workers, and providing mental health support to those impacted by the war. Additionally, Project HOPE has been operating in the neighboring countries of Moldova, Poland, and Romania to ensure that Ukrainian refugees — particularly women, children, and older populations — have access to primary care and mental health support. In recent months, Project HOPE teams have expanded closer to the front lines to distribute emergency drinking water, operate mobile medical units, and to assess emerging needs.
Access photos of Project HOPE’s response in Ukraine here.
To schedule an interview, please contact Courtney Ridgway: media@projecthope.org
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leading global health and humanitarian organization operating in more than 25 countries around the world. We work side-by-side with local health systems to save lives and improve health. Our mission is at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases, disasters and health crises, maternal, neonatal and child health and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information on Project HOPE and its work around the world, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg.
