Lviv – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided vital emergency response equipment to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) during an official handover ceremony that took place on 16 June, in Lviv.  

Through support from the Governments of Germany and the United Kingdom, IOM handed over 43 boats and engines, 11 motor pumps, 2,000 firehoses and other equipment like lifebuoys to aid the SES’s response in flooded areas of Kherson Region.  

“The equipment provided by IOM will help us save lives and address the aftermath of this catastrophe. Once the war is over, rescue teams will continue using this equipment solely for life-saving purposes,” said Mykola Humeniuk, Deputy Head of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service for the Lviv Region.  

IOM and its partners have been working in close coordination with the local authorities and other UN bodies to respond to urgent needs, such as, access to clean drinking water, hygiene kits and ensuring health-care services are well-prepared in case of disease outbreak. IOM has already dispatched over 100,000 litres of water to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and continues to conduct daily water trucking. IOM has also supplied household hygiene kits to more than 15,000 people in Kherson. 

“IOM, together with other UN Agencies and NGO partners, has been working on the ground to help address the consequences of the Kakhovka Dam destruction since the first day of the calamity,” said Marco Chimenton, IOM Ukraine Deputy Chief of Mission.  

"We are pleased to have been able to respond to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine’s important request to support their lifesaving, life preserving operations,” he added.  

The Organization is also aiming to support the rehabilitation and drilling of wells in areas facing water shortages, while plans are underway to help ensure wells and water supply to households in areas directly affected by the floods are flushed of contaminants as families start to return. With homes damaged by the floods and individuals displaced, IOM has distributed 450 shelter kits and over 7,000 core relief items, which include aid packages like bedding kits.  

As the floodwaters recede, the impact on vital services, employment opportunities, community infrastructure and housing in areas along the banks of the Dnipro River and those depending on the Kakhovka reservoir for water supply has not diminished. Thousands of homes have been flooded and over 2,700 individuals evacuated from the river's right bank for their safety, most of whom have yet to return home, while more than 700,000 people are expected to face water shortages.    

This week, IOM appealed to the donors for an initial USD 12 million to continue its humanitarian response to the crisis, support government efforts and help lay the foundation for community-led recovery.