Last June, the dam near the Russian-controlled town of Nova Kakhovka, in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, was destroyed. We hear this from the news media and place it in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine. But what does this mean for the people affected?
Without help
About 17,000 people were in the immediate critical zone, a quarter of them evacuated. But not everyone was able or wanted to leave, despite health threats.
All this adds to the water problem. Because even in the liberated kherson area, on the other side of the Dnieper, there are a number of villages cut off from the water supply network that are not receiving any help. These villages have been living without normal electricity and functioning drinking water system for months due to the acts of war.
Water treatment system
We previously helped in the Kherson region through the organisation Metadidomi (see Doorgeven September 2022). Kartrekker Leander van Gorsel says: "The church where we have been, and from which aid is provided to those villages, has now been used as a shelter for people whose houses were completely flooded.
Last year we got in touch with a company in Urk that can supply water purification systems and is very committed to the need in Ukraine. With the help of diaconate CGK, we were now able to purchase ten water purification systems for the affected areas. This is to help prevent the outbreak of major disease outbreaks.
Each system can provide a village with clean drinking water. There are about 10 churches and shelters in the flood area where a water treatment system can be placed.'
Thank you very much
Thanks to your support for the Ukraine Relief Action, we are able to provide this assistance. On behalf of those helped: thank you very much!
This emergency relief campaign is still ongoing. Want to read more or donate? Go to the page of this emergency response ...
This post appeared in the July/August 2023 diaconate newsletter. View the newsletter here ...
