Griffiths: The impact of the collapse of Nova Kakhovka Dam on global food security could be significant 

New York (ST) – The United Nations has warned of the repercussions of the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River in Kherson region on global food security and on food and drinking water prices.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the BBC that the impact on food security could be significant.

“This is a breadbasket – that whole area going down towards the Black Sea and Crimea is a breadbasket not only for Ukraine but also for the world,” Griffiths told the BBC. “We’re in difficulties already on food security but food prices, I’m sure, are bound to increase.”

“It is almost inevitable that we are going to see huge, huge problems in harvesting and sowing for the next harvest. And so what we are going to see is a huge impact on global food security – that’s what’s going to happen.”

He said that up to 700,000 people depended on the reservoir behind the dam for drinking water. Without clean water, he said, people would be susceptible to disease and that children were most vulnerable in such a situation.

Griffiths also said that damage of this scale to civilian infrastructure was completely contrary to international humanitarian law including the Geneva conventions.

Najla Khoury