2 days ago
EU allocates €30 million to restore water supply system in Kryvyi Rih after Kakhovka dam destruction
The European Union has announced that it will allocate €30 million to support the restoration of the water supply system in the city of Kryvyi Rih, which was damaged after Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam in 2023.
Source: press service for the EU Delegation to Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The project, which will be implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), was symbolically announced on the second anniversary of Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
"Russia's attacks have severely damaged Ukraine's water systems, leaving entire cities at risk. With this project, the EU is helping restore vital services and reduce the vulnerability of communities like Kryvyi Rih," said Jocelin Cornet, Head of Section "Reconstruction, energy, infrastructure and environment", the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
Before the disaster, Kryvyi Rih received water from the Kakhovka Reservoir. After it was destroyed, the city has been dependent on degraded and insufficient alternative sources.
As stated in the announcement, the new project, funded by the EU and implemented by IOM, aims to improve water quality and reduce energy consumption and water losses in urban pipelines.
In partnership with Kryvbasvodokanal, a regional water supply operator, and local authorities, IOM will renovate pumping stations, replace pipelines and improve the efficiency of water treatment facilities. Over the next two years, the project will reach up to 700,000 residents of Kryvyi Rih, including approximately 80,000 internally displaced persons.
The Kakhovka dam, occupied by Russia at the start of the full-scale invasion, was destroyed on the morning of 6 June 2023. This caused dozens of deaths and widespread destruction, flooding 620 square kilometres of territory in four oblasts – Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia.
An assessment of the consequences of the 2023 disaster, prepared by the UN and the Ukrainian government with the participation of the World Bank and the EU, estimated the damage at US$14 billion.
After Russia blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, the EU activated the Civil Protection Mechanism to provide assistance to Ukraine. The first contributions were made by Germany, Austria and Lithuania.
Germany offered 5,000 water filters and 56 generators and Austria 20 water tanks and 10 drilling pumps. In addition, Lithuania and Germany also offered tents, beds and blankets.
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