UN says Russia still blocking aid to dam breach victims
This handout satellite image taken on June 16, 2023 by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric plant after the collapse, near Kherson in Ukraine. Nova Kakhovka Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine was damaged on June 6, 2023 with Kyiv and Moscow accusing each other of blowing it up while locals were forced to flee rising waters. Photo by Handout / Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies / AFP
United Nations, United States — The United Nations accused Russia on Sunday of continuing to block humanitarian aid deliveries to Moscow-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine that have been impacted by the recent Kakhovka dam rupture.
The breach of the dam on June 6 inundated huge swathes of the Kherson region under Russian and Ukrainian control, forcing thousands to flee and sparking fears of an environmental disaster.
READ: Ukraine dam supplying water to Crimea, nuclear plant is breached, unleashing floods
“The Government of the Russian Federation has so far declined our request to access the areas under its temporary military control,” the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, said in a statement Sunday.
“The UN will continue to do all it can to reach all people – including those suffering as a result of the recent dam destruction – who urgently need life-saving assistance, no matter where they are,” Brown said.
“We urge the Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” she added.
READ: Evidence suggests Russia blew Kakhovka dam in Ukraine–New York Times
This handout satellite image taken on June 16, 2023 by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric plant after the collapse, near Kherson in Ukraine. Nova Kakhovka Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine was damaged on June 6, 2023 with Kyiv and Moscow accusing each other of blowing it up while locals were forced to flee rising waters. Photo by Handout / Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies / AFP
On Saturday, June 17, officials in the Russian-held areas announced that the death toll from the dam breach had risen to 29, while Kyiv said the number killed in its territory rose to 16, with 31 still missing.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of blowing up the dam on the Dnipro River, while Russia has blamed Ukraine.
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