This morning, the United Nations, led by Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, delivered supplies to help thousands of civilians in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, less than 72 hours after the Government of Ukraine regained control of the city. This is the first time that aid workers have been able to enter Kherson with humanitarian aid since Russian forces took control of the city in the first weeks of the war in early March 2022.

“The people of Kherson are struggling to meet their basic needs, only adding to the trauma of having endured months of constant bombardments, being forced to flee their homes, and seeing their loved ones being killed or injured,” Ms Brown said. “The people need urgent support, and we must act quickly to help them.”

The city faces a shortage of water and electricity, while markets are running low on food and health facilities lack medicines.

Today’s humanitarian convoy brought food, water, hygiene kits, shelter materials and critical household items, including bedding, thermal blankets and solar lamps, to more than 6,000 people in Kherson. A health centre in the city will also receive medicines to treat more than 1,000 patients over the next month.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) took part in today’s convoy.

The humanitarian community will continue to mobilize resources and supplies over the coming days to expand their operations and bring more aid to people in all areas of the Kherson region, which are now back under Ukrainian control. In recent weeks, life-saving items have already been delivered to more than 12,000 people in other towns and villages retaken by Ukraine in the Kherson region, including Novovorontsovka, Novooleksandrivka, Velyka Oleksandrivka and Vysokopillia.

So far this year in the Kherson region, humanitarian organizations have reached 100,000 people, most of them with cash assistance.

“With the support of our partners, particularly the local organizations, I am confident that we will be able to do much more in the days and weeks ahead,” Ms. Brown said. “We must stand with the people of Kherson in their hour of need.”

For further information, please contact OCHA Ukraine:

Saviano Abreu, +380 504 223 943, deabreuisidoro@un.org

Viktoriya Hrubas, +380 50 382 4541, viktoriya.hrubas@un.org