Today's top news: Haiti, Ukraine

Haiti

There was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake this morning near the southern city of Jerémie, in the department of Grand’Anse.

Grand’Anse was already affected, as you’ve heard, by torrential rains over the weekend that triggered deadly floods and landslides.

So far, the General Directorate for Civil Protection is reporting three deaths and 28 injuries from the earthquake, as search and rescue efforts continue.

As authorities assess the impact, we and our humanitarian partners stand ready to support.

The floods and landslides over the weekend affected seven of Haiti’s 10 departments, and authorities say at least 51 people have been killed, 140 others injured and 18 still missing. In the affected areas, nearly 32,000 homes were flooded.

We are working with colleagues from the UN Children’s Fund - UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Organization for Migration to support communities around the capital Port-au-Prince that were hardest hit by the floods and landslides. WFP is ready to distribute some 350,000 hot meals and other food assistance.

Meanwhile, ongoing insecurity and damage to roads are hampering relief efforts.

Ukraine

We are gravely concerned about the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, located on the frontline in the Kherson region, and the severe humanitarian impact on hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the front line. This includes Crimea, which reportedly receives water from Kakhovka water reservoir through the North Crimea Canal.

With the damage to the water system and ensuing flooding, thousands have lost their homes overnight, and thousands more have no access to basic services or to food and drinking water. Ukrainian authorities reported almost 40 towns and villages fully or partially flooded in the parts of the Kherson region under Ukrainian control. Severe impact is also expected in the Russian-controlled areas.

Ukrainian authorities are supporting the evacuation of some 16,000 flood-affected people by emergency buses and a train. The evacuees are likely to go to neighbouring Mykolaiv and Odesa, in the south of the country, while other regions also stand ready to receive people.

The scope and impact of the destruction of the Dam and the depletion of the Kakhovka Reservoir, which is formed by the Dam, is being assessed, but are projected to have severe and longer-term consequences on the humanitarian situation in the area.

Flooding and fast-moving water can move mines and explosive ordnance to new areas which previously had been assessed as safe, thus putting more people in danger.

The impacted areas largely consist of agricultural land, causing agricultural activities to be disrupted.

Emergency humanitarian response is underway to provide urgent assistance to over 16,000 people, including water supply, cash assistance, legal and psychosocial support. Humanitarians have also deployed mobile teams to train and bus stations across receiving people evacuated from the areas.

Further assessment of the situation and emergency response are ongoing.