Top official warns Ukraine suffer as electricity cut in ongoing Russian attacks
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – UN Assistant Secretary-General on Ukraine Matthias Schmale on Wedsnday said that imagine living through a war and not being able to make a meal or heat your home; that’s the reality for thousands of Ukrainians who’ve seen repeated Russian attacks knock out their electricity for days at a time.
Schale in an update reported that half the population in Kherson city, about 30,000 or more residents, have been without electricity for several days.
It’s not the only city without power, he told while on mission to southern Ukraine:
“The big challenge is how do you support people if electricity is cut off for several days, more than a week, let’s say, in a row, like is currently the case in Odesa,” he said.
“The authorities are fairly confident that they can deal with a couple of hours or even a couple of days in a row. but more than a week will be very challenging.”
He said that one solution to the energy crisis was to ensure that schools and health centres are provided with generators and enough fuel, “so that people can gather there, if there is a crisis and if needed for several days in a row”.
Mr. Schmale was in the frontline city of Kherson on Wednesday, which lies directly across the Dnipro River from land occupied by Russian invaders in southern Ukraine.
He met civilians at a UN humanitarian hub who had come seeking aid. One woman who is a power plant worker said she was very afraid of being targeted while on the job.
Mr. Schmale complimented her on her great sense of humour in the face of adversity. “I prefer to smile rather than cry. I’ve already had a lot of time to cry,” she replied.
“I just want to go back home and die there,” she added poignantly.
