The United States will support Ukraine in its fight against the devastating floods that have recently hit western regions of the country.
On June 27, the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine announced that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with $100,000 to “help the people of western Ukraine recover from this humanitarian disaster.”
“The United States stands with Ukraine at this difficult time of severe flooding,” the embassy stated on Facebook.
The money will be allocated through the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, which will work “closely” with the Ukrainian government to ensure these funds are used “quickly and effectively.”
Heavy rains started on June 20 and have destroyed power lines and dams in Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia and Lviv oblasts. The floods hit 200 villages, damaging 5,000 homes. The downpours also flooded a hospital that treats COVID-19 patients in Halych, a town in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, some 580 kilometers west of Kyiv.
At least two people have died and one person is missing.
Read more: COVID-19 hospital floods amid heavy rainfall in western Ukraine
As of June 25, 610 people were evacuated from the flooded regions, according to the State Emergency Service. Rescuers saved 183 more persons from the flooded areas yesterday, on June 26.
On June 25, the Ukrainian government agreed on allocating $26 million to overcome the consequences of flooding in western Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal wrote on Facebook.
“These funds will be used primarily to provide the regions with food, water, evacuation and temporary accommodation for victims, equipment for rescuers, disinfection of wells, strengthening public safety,” Shmygal said.
At the moment, the weather in western Ukraine is improving and the level of water in the flooded areas has started to decrease.
