The United Kingdom will give Ukraine £ 16 million in humanitarian relief for the floods brought on by the loss of the Nova Kakhova Dam.
The Government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) has announced an additional humanitarian support of £ 16 million to Ukraine in the wake of flooding caused by the destruction of Nova Kakhova Dam, affecting 42,000 people in the Kherson area.
This is in addition to the existing humanitarian support of £ 220 million, which allows partners, such as the Ukraine Red Cross, to help evacuate civilians affected by the flooding.
Besides, the U.K.-led Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine has already delivered two specialist rescue boats, search and rescue equipment, and trauma medicine to Kherson to assist the ongoing rescue operations by the State Emergency Services.
The new funding will support aid organisations in the area that are currently assisting people affected by the flooding with rapid response equipment, shelter and essential supplies, as well as in areas affected by fighting and communities who have been displaced. Beyond the immediate rescue efforts, this funding will help respond to the ongoing impacts of flooding, including waterborne infectious diseases, loss of livelihoods and landmine risks.
The funding will consist of £ 10 million of support to the Red Cross Movement, £ 5 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and £ 1 million to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The U.K. will also provide a package of rescue boats, community water filters, water pumps and waders to help State Emergency Services of Ukraine responders deal with the ongoing impact of the flooding. The equipment will start arriving in Ukraine by next week.
The announcement comes as water levels in Kherson continue to rise, with flooding spreading to other towns along the Dnipro River. The U.K. has moved quickly to bolster its support to Ukraine as it deals with severe flooding from the dam, which is expected to last for weeks and leave many in need of food, water and basic supplies.
Speaking on the occasion, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary – James Cleverly said, “Flooding from the destruction of Kakhovka dam is having an untold impact on over 32,000 people living in Kherson, and thousands more in the surrounding area.”
He further said, “The U.K. is leading the way in providing support to those desperately in need. Our funding is playing a vital role in helping Ukrainian services and aid organisations evacuate people and get help to those in need. We will continue to stand by Ukraine in dealing with this terrible incident.”
This aid package is part of the U.K.’s total support for Ukraine of £ 1.5 billion in economic and humanitarian support, which has paid for the delivery of more than 11 million medical items and food supplies, ambulances and shelter kits.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Secretary of the U.K. – James Cleverly, visited Ukraine to highlight the U.K.’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its recovery. During his visit, he met the President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv and discussed how best the U.K. will continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.
The U.K. is also set to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June 2023, which will bring together Governments and industry leaders to develop a concerted multi-sector plan to help Ukraine to recover from Russia’s illegal invasion.
