Today's top news: Ukraine, Sudan
Ukraine
We continue to scale up support after the Kakhovka Dam destruction, coordinating efforts with local organizations and authorities.
Humanitarians are helping people to get to safer areas, access clean water and food, and getting cash assistance to meet their most urgent needs.
The World Food Programme, together with its national partner Tarilka, already delivered ready-to-eat food to 18,000 people affected by flooding or evacuated to other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.
Drinking water remains the most pressing need and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children and other partners organized water trucking and delivered over 100,000 bottles of drinking water, water purification tablets and jerrycans to the affected communities in the Kherson region.
UNICEF is working with the Government and partners to develop short-term and longer-term solutions to repair water and wastewater infrastructure, which is critical for preventing the spread of waterborne diseases.
Thousands of people also received hygiene kits, delivered by the United Nations Population Fund.
Over 30 humanitarian organizations are present at train, bus stations, transit and collective centres to support people forced to leave their homes due to the flooding, including women with children, older people and people with disabilities. Partners across the country also offer medical and psychosocial support to people on the move and evacuees arriving in Mykolaiv, Odesa and other cities.
Some 3,500 people have already received cash assistance from UNICEF while registration continues.
The UN is also extremely concerned about the plight of civilians stranded in areas under Russian military control, and we will continue our efforts to assist.
Sudan
Our UNICEF colleagues tell us that nearly 300 children have been safely relocated from the Mygoma orphanage in the capital, Khartoum to a transit centre in a safer location. The International Committee for the Red Cross facilitated that critical evacuation of the children and dozens of caretakers. You’ll remember that at least 70 children had reportedly died at that orphanage since the conflict in Sudan began.
UNICEF is providing support for the children’s medical care, feeding, and other needs. They’re currently under the care of the Social Welfare and Health ministries, and UNICEF is working with authorities to identify foster families.
Meanwhile, millions of children in Sudan remain threatened by the fighting and its secondary impacts. A record number of children in the country – more than 13.6 million – now need humanitarian assistance.
In the meantime, OCHA continues to communicate with the parties in Sudan to resolve access challenges and facilitate the movement of lifesaving supplies.
Between 21 May and 7 June, at least 188 trucks carrying humanitarian aid reached states across Sudan – including Khartoum, Aj Jazirah, Red Sea, Kassala, Gedaref, Sennar, River Nile, Blue Nile and Northern State. Partners are currently planning 41 additional truck movements.