Families in Kherson prepare emergency “go bags” due to possible flooding
Earlier they were threatened by shelling, but now a new danger has appeared
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This morning, Yevheniya, a mother of 3 children - Yehor (10), Glib (8), and Timofiy (11) - said she had the same horrible feeling just as she did when the war escalated in February last year. News of the explosion at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the resultant flooding in parts of Kherson forced her to once again make contingency plans for the safety of her children and stock up on drinking water. "It reminds me of the start of the war, when you don't know what to expect," she said.
Throughout the morning, the family collected water in every available container, as the water supply to Kherson city has been cut by the dam attack.
"The house is now completely filled with water containers. But, it's uncertain if these supplies will be enough for us. Our water has already been shut off. And we're afraid they will also cut off the electricity because there have been warnings about that too,” she said. “We experienced this during active shelling, when my children and I spent a month without water and electricity. It's very difficult to go through it again, especially for the children in summer," Yevheniya explains.
Another Yevheniya from Kherson, a mother of five children, had planned to take her children to therapist at the UNICEF Spilno Child Spot tomorrow, but following the attack on the dam those plans are on hold.
"We want our children to have the opportunity to communicate with other children and have a peaceful life. But now we're afraid to go into the city centre again because of the intensified shelling and flooding," she adds.
Yevheniya's husband works as a bus driver and has already carried out several humanitarian trips today to evacuate people from the flooded parts of the city.
UNICEF is working on the ground in affected areas, providing essential supplies such as water bottles, hygiene kits, and children’s kits to people from affected areas in Kherson and Mykolaiv Oblasts, particularly people who have been forced to relocate. Additionally, cash support will be provided to families with children in the districts affected by flooding.
