Threats to International Peace and Security -…

The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam in Kherson — the most significant incident of damage to civilian infrastructure since the start of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine — will have grave and far-reaching consequences for thousands of people in southern Ukraine, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator warned the Security Council today, as he updated the 15-member organ on the Organization’s response efforts.

Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator — stressing that immediate humanitarian needs are expected to rise as floodwaters move — asserted:  “Today’s news means the plight of the people in Ukraine is set to get even worse.” 

In response, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have already stepped up their operations to address the impacts, including by providing urgent assistance to over 16,000 affected people.  Multidisciplinary mobile teams have been deployed to train and bus stations across Kherson oblast as cities in the west are preparing to receive evacuees.  For its part, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is closely monitoring the situation at Zaporizhzhia and has reported no immediate threat.

The meeting began at 4:02 p.m. and ended at 5:23 p.m.