Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Zelenskyy calls on Red Cross to help rescue people from flooded towns

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: president.gov.ua

During his daily televised address to Ukrainian citizens, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged international organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to immediately join the rescue of people from flooded towns and villages, particularly in the temporarily occupied territory, where Ukrainian military and rescuers cannot currently reach.

Zelesnkyy said that the Ukrainian military and rescuers do their best to help Ukrainian citizens trapped in flooded towns and villages of the Kherson Oblast following the Kakhovka dam destruction. However, Ukrainian authorities cannot reach thousands of people who need help in the Russian-controlled territories of the Kherson Oblast that suffer from the devastating flooding.

“Our military and special services are saving people as much as possible, despite the [Russian – ed.] shelling. But large-scale efforts are needed,” Zelesnkyy said. “We need international organizations, such as the Red Cross, to immediately join the rescue operation and help people in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast. Every person who dies there is a verdict on the existing international organizations that have forgotten how to save lives.”

Russian troops blow up dam of Kakhovka HPP, unleashing environmental disaster (UPDATING)

Ukraine’s President said that if an international organization is not in the area of this disaster, it means that “it is incapable of functioning.” He added that all relevant requests from the Ukrainian government had been sent.

According to Zelenskyy, as of the evening of 7 June, more than 2,000 people were rescued from the flooding in the Kherson and Mykolayiv oblasts.

However, according to Ukraine’s President, the situation in the occupied territories is “catastrophic” because Russian invaders “abandoned people in these terrible conditions without rescue, without water, trapped on the roofs of houses in flooded communities.”

Ukrainian dam engineer rules out self-destruction of Kakhovka dam

“Now we need a clear and quick reaction of the world to what is happening. It is impossible to establish for sure how many people in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson oblast may die without rescue, without drinking water, food, and medical care,” Zelesnkyy said.

Ukraine’s President thanked those world leaders who expressed their “support for Ukraine and clear condemnation of the Russian crime of ecocide.”

Yesterday, in his interview with Bild, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was shocked by the reaction of the United Nations (UN) and the Red Cross to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Zelenskyy claimed that the UN and the Red Cross rejected Ukraine’s requests for assistance. Zelensky emphasized that even though the tragedy occurred many hours ago, neither the UN nor the Red Cross deployed their representatives to the area. However, they “should be the first to save lives as this is what these structures were created for,” Zelesnkyy noted.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares