Ukraine Dam Breach Floods Major Area
Ask Students: Where was the recent Ukraine dam breach? What is the impact of flooding on residents of low-lying villages in the water’s path?
Water is pouring through a giant gap in a dam in southern Ukraine. It gave way early Tuesday morning, forcing thousands of people to flee and touching off competing claims about the cause. Ukraine accused the Russians of blowing up the dam. Moscow claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused the rupture. Neither side offered any direct evidence, but the results were catastrophic. Amna Nawaz reports.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Discussion Questions
- Where was the recent dam breach?
- What is the impact of flooding on residents of low-lying villages in the water’s path?
- Why did Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi ask that the integrity of the dam is not further damaged?
- According to analyst Michael Kofman, who is responsible for the damage to the dam?
- According to Kofman, how might the flooding caused by the dam’s breach affect Ukrainian military prospects?
Focus Questions
Residents of communities near the dam are facing many challenges after its rupture. How does this disaster exacerbate struggles caused by the ongoing military conflict in the region?
Media Literacy: The Ukrainian and Russian governments have offered conflicting explanations as to the cause of the dam’s rupture. How can investigators try to correctly identify the cause of the break without being influenced by misinformation?
Extension Activity
War complicates how to provide humanitarian relief to communities facing disaster, but the global community is still finding ways to do so. Learn about flood relief efforts in Ukraine in this article, and then discuss what are the best ways to help people grappling with both flooding and war.
Understanding the War in Ukraine
Learn more about the crisis unfolding in Ukraine with resources we've gathered on this developing topic.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of NewsHour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
Advertisement
