The districts in western Ukraine hit by heavy floods are suffering the lack of drinking water, which may cause the spread of gastrointestinal infections, 120 bridges have been damaged and more than 200 kilometers of roads blocked, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said.
“Water has in fact returned to its banks today… The problem is big… According to our estimations, the level of water and the scale of the disaster in Ivano-Frankivsk region is higher than in 2008 and higher than in 1998… The problem is huge, and it has not gone away with the water,” the minister said in the Savik Shuster Freedom of Speech TV show on June 26 night.
Avakov emphasized that around 5,000 drinking wells were flooded.
“Today I saw how the helicopters of our Emergency Service and National Guard work. They mainly deliver drinking water and food to the blocked districts. They lack normal drinking water and this is a huge problem. It is hard to deliver water there, because many roads are blocked or damaged,” he said, adding that he was speaking about 200 kilometers of roads.
Thus, the problem with the lack of drinking water is being solved by deliveries of water by helicopters, Avakov said, adding that the problem has not been settled in full and there is a risk of outbreaks of contagious diseases.
According to the minister, three people were killed as a result of the disaster and two or three went missing. The National Guard are searching them every day. He mentioned that Ukraine had 38 flood victims in 2008.
Avakov also said that the flow of debris damaged roads and 120 bridges.
“I think the acute phase will take ten days during which we will be dealing with the most serious problems,” he said.
