In the early hours of 6 June, the sound of explosions were heard before the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed. The dam, on the Dnipro River, lies about 30km east of the city of Kherson. As torrents of water were unleashed, thousands of people were displaced in the region, parts of which were submerged underwater.

Iryna Tolstykh, 39, is a psychologist and coordinator of the UNFPA-supported Survivor Relief Centre who woke to news that the vast and vital dam had been destroyed. She has pivoted from counselling to relief efforts in the city that is her home. Here she shares her days in the aftermath of the breach.

“I’ll tell you one thing: I really, really want to live. I love life more than ever.” says Iryna. “I love my arms and legs, because I never thought it would be so easy to lose them. I love my home, because it is where I recover. I value people so much. It is only with a person that you can get warm, that you can share your grief and know that you are not alone in this injustice. A lot of unnecessary things have disappeared, and only the real things remain.”

[Pictured above] Iryna, a psychologist with UNFPA (right) and her colleague Andrii, a driver, have been responding to the devastating crisis in her city of Kherson. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

At 7 a.m. on 6 June, Iryna answered a phone call from a friend. “She was in a very anxious state. Her family needed help relocating. When she told me the dam had been blown up, I couldn’t believe it,” Iryna recalls. “I understood that it was a fact, but my mind could not comprehend it. Everyone has known since childhood how scary [the prospect] was - in school we learned how much Kherson would flood if the dam was destroyed.”

Iryna immediately set to work with her colleagues to rescue and re-house residents to higher ground, including their own families and friends. “We had to react quickly,” she says.

[Pictured above] Once the dam was destroyed, many people who had stayed in their homes since the occupation began in 2022 had no choice but to evacuate. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

The dam held back a reservoir so large that locals call it the Kakhovka Sea. Its destruction is the largest environmental disaster in Ukraine since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.

“The word ‘horror’ is not enough,” says Iryna. “This is a global grief, a global catastrophe.”

The disaster has killed or injured unconfirmed numbers as humanitarian needs soar, including  the need for clean drinking water, food and access to health services. Military hostilities are adding to the challenges with reports of several attacks affecting civilians and hindering rescue operations.

[Pictured above] The dam’s reservoir spanned an area of more than 2,000 square kilometres. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

The Survivor Relief Centre (SRC) was founded by the Ukrainian government in December 2022, with support from UNFPA, to provide services to people affected by sexual violence during the war.

SRC operates across 11 cities through dedicated sites or mobile teams. The Kherson team of three–Iryna, Andrii, and their colleague, Anna, a social worker–has always been mobile to operate around shelling.

When the dam was destroyed they refocused their efforts on the overwhelming rescue and humanitarian needs in the city.

[Pictured above] From left: Iryna, Andrii and their colleague Anna, a social worker, support fellow residents around the clock. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“Before the Kakhovka Dam was blown up, the SRC was organizing meetings with advocacy partners and arranging events with village heads,” says Iryna. “We dealt with the fact that many people considered sexual violence to only mean rape. Harassment, obscene statements, unwanted touching and coercion to have sex were not considered sexual violence.” The SRC raises awareness and provides counselling to those affected.

[Pictured above] Volunteers and survivors rally together to support each other. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

On the first day of the devastating news, as water began to pour from the dam walls, Iryna recalls how they could still evacuate people by van. “We were relocating people with disabilities, the elderly, people with children and animals. The city authorities opened shelters [in parts of the city on higher ground] and settled people there.”

[Pictured above] Iryna helps distribute donated supplies including shoes and clothing to residents who were evacuated with just the clothes on their backs. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

By the second day, water levels had risen drastically. The only way to get around was by boat.

“Lots of people have summer cottages on the river called ‘dacha’, so there were always lots of boats in the city - every second person had one. When Russian troops left the city, they shot the boats to sink them so that residents or the Armed Forces could not use them. Now when we need the boats the most, there are not many of them.”

[Pictured above] Rescuers and evacuees travel by boat around flooded roads. “Places I loved have simply disappeared,” says Iryna. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

Iryna has high praise for her teammates, Anna and Andrii.

“Andrii drives round in his boat, helping people from roofs, untethering animals, and rescuing anyone he can find.”

“Anna helps our military administration at the warehouse receive humanitarian aid that is brought from all over Ukraine and distributes it to shelters. She also works to resettle people to other locations.”

[Pictured above] The team has met people reluctant to leave their flooded homes if it means t abandoning their beloved animals. Andrii has saved all kinds of animals, including dogs, cats and goats. “Many dogs were sitting on roofs, and I saw many dogs swimming,” he says. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“I provide psychological assistance to evacuees in shelters, working with children who are disoriented, and calming down elderly people who are terrified,” says Iryna.

She also coordinates volunteers, funds, and donations of lifesaving resources from individuals, other SRC sites and NGOs, as well as deliveries of water purification tablets for “people left without drinking water in the Kherson summer heat”; UNFPA dignity kits, and a generator that came from Odesa, about 200km away.

[Pictured above] Volunteers organize the donated supplies, preparing them for distribution. “A grandmother asked for our help, not for herself but food for her cat,” Iryna says. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

Iryna and colleagues begin each day at 6 a.m. and go to bed around 1 or 2 a.m.

“Our sleep is of poor quality. Everyone working on this effort is in such a state of concentration that we hardly feel our own bodies.”

[Pictured above] The team has been working long hours every day. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“Our work is hampered by shelling,” Iryna says. “For example, yesterday (13 June), there was very heavy shelling, and I had to stay in the basement. After that, I needed a lot of time to recover.”

[Pictured above] A church is used to store drinking water, food and other essential supplies. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“What survivors need most of all is to be transported to a warm dry place, to a warm dry bed, and given hot tea. They need to be cared for,” Iryna explains. “When they receive sympathy, care and hot lunches, they begin to ‘thaw’.”

[Pictured above] Iryna coordinates volunteers, like the one pictured, who have come together to help other survivors. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“When people receive blankets, dry clothes and hygiene products, they feel they are not alone with their grief, that they are supported by thousands of people. It is very difficult and painful for them, but seeing help provides people with a sense of strength,” says Iryna.

“We distribute dignity kits to women and teenage girls, and babushka kits to older women.  We take most of the kits to the areas that have suffered the most, where people have nothing left.” 

[Pictured above] Iryna unloads kits containing essential supplies to meet people’s immediate needs. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

Iryna is concerned about what receding water levels will reveal.

“When the water goes down, there may be corpses of animals and people. Cemeteries were washed away, and in this heat it will be an even more terrible process to deal with. We currently do not have the specialists who can cope with this challenge,” says Iryna.

“My biggest fear is the potential of various epidemics.”

[Pictured above] Water levels are now receding. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“This tragedy scares me because, despite the fact that we live in a progressive time, where we talk about tolerance, respect and values, there are still people who are ready to wipe entire cities off the face of the earth.”

“I feel powerless because I cannot change it.”

[Pictured above] In January 2022, Kherson’s population was almost 280,000. It is reported that only 20% of its inhabitants remain in the city. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

“On the other hand, I am very grateful that I have this job and this team, and that Anna, Andrii and I can help. As a resident of Kherson, as a person for whom everything dear is being destroyed - doing our job helps us avoid despair.”

[Pictured above] Iryna and Anna sort through donations. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

Despite only sleeping 4-5 hours each night, Iryna wishes she had more time.

“We are trying to reach a large number of people, and unfortunately, we are not made of iron, we are not robots. If we were more resilient, stronger, and had more hours in the day, we could help more. But we are ordinary people.”

[Pictured above] Iryna, a psychologist-turned-rescue worker, works under the risk of attack to support her community. © UNFPA Ukraine/Danylo Pavlov.

KYIV, Ukraine/CHIȘINĂU, Republic of Moldova – On 5 November, the capitals of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova were connected by direct rail for the first time in 24 years. The new train line aims to offer refugees fleeing the war a safe route out of Ukraine and into the neighbouring Republic of Moldova – especially with a harsh winter looming and heating cuts already widespread.

Since the onset of war in Ukraine, more than 700,000 people have left the country for the Republic of Moldova, which is now also facing its own energy crisis. Some 100,000 refugees remain in the country, two thirds of them women, who face particular challenges when fleeing conflict.

“For them, displacement will bring increased vulnerability to violence, sexual abuse and exploitation,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on International Women’s Day 2022.

But for many, the risk of staying behind in Ukraine and facing the threat of Russian attacks and a bitterly cold winter without heat or power outweighs any risks associated with making for Moldova – especially with the new train route providing passengers a secure pathway across borders.

The Kyiv-Chișinău train offers them hope that better, safer days are ahead. Follow along for one of its cross-border journeys between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, which transports passengers from the threat of peril towards the opportunity of peace.

[Pictured above]  A conductor checks tickets before letting passengers board the train. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

The train from Kyiv to Chișinău leaves at 5 p.m. On the platform, in the dim lamp light, passengers say goodbye and embrace those staying behind. Many leaving Kyiv will not be back soon, having made the difficult decision to leave the country before the onset of a bitter winter.

Larisa is a conductor and one of the veterans of Ukrainian Railway. © UNFPA UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

The conductors check tickets, and soon after, the train starts moving. Those remaining on the platform, visible through duct-taped windows, wave the train goodbye. The windows are sealed in case Russian missiles explode nearby.

One of the conductors, Larisa, recalls working non-stop to help evacuate people as soon as full-scale war broke out.

“We spent weeks taking hundreds of people out of Kramatorsk and Kharkiv. Most of them simply slept in aisles between compartments, and left their luggage at the stations,” she said. “Women and children were a priority for us; they were the first to board a car that had at least some free space. We tried to support and care for them.”

Larisa’s last train trip to Kramatorsk was on 8 April. On that day, the Russian army fired a rocket at the railway station; the attack killed many civilians who were waiting to be evacuated.

Tatiana is the mother of a soldier who lost an eye in the war. They are now on their way to the Republic of Moldova to fly to Türkiye, where her son will have an operation. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

The train stops to allow new passengers to board. Tatiana enters Larisa’s train car with her 23-year-old son. The young man was wounded while serving on the front lines; he sits alone in one of the train’s compartments, his head wrapped in bandages.

“He already lost one eye, but there is a chance to save the second one,” Tatiana said. “We decided that we needed to get treatment in another country.”

Mother and son are travelling together through the Republic of Moldova to Türkiye, where he will seek another operation.

“The doctor said that God has big plans for my son – almost no one survives with his injuries. For me, the greatest happiness was to learn that he survived,” Tatiana said. In the intensive care unit where her son recovered, many others did not.

Violeta tries to calm the children on the train. In a couple of hours they will arrive in Chișinău, where a new stage of their lives will begin. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

The train has seven carriages, each a separate world. In one, children laugh, play and watch cartoons while their mothers chat and prepare for the train’s arrival in Chișinău.

Marina and Violeta are friends. Each of them has two children: Older daughters and younger sons. This is their second time leaving Ukraine for Europe, as they have decided to spend the winter in Chișinău.

Marina’s family lost electricity after a rocket attack on Kyiv, and her son caught a cold when the house grew chilly. She hopes Chișinău will not only be safer, but warmer. “We knew that the winter would be hard. But after the latest attacks on infrastructure, everything changed,” Marina said.

“We have small children, and we cannot risk their health and lives.”

Violeta agrees the decision to leave was difficult. “We still do not know what to expect, how to deal with the children’s education, how to settle down. But the main thing now is that we are safe.”

Yulia, a young mother from Kyiv, is also moving to Chișinău with her young son, Vlad. Vlad was born a week after the war began: He is a child of war. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

In an adjacent compartment, a young mother named Yulia holds her baby boy, Vlad, who was born just a week after the start of the war.

“The military was assigned to our maternity hospital to protect us if the Russian army entered Kyiv,” she said. “It was scary in those days; we heard explosions.”

Yulia worries that her son’s short time on earth has been dominated by conflict. He is a little afraid of men, as since his birth, he’s spent most of his time with women. “He is a child of war, and we don’t know when it will all end,” she said.

Pavlina, a UNFPA safe space manager at the Chișinău station. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

After 18 hours of travel, the train arrives at the Chișinău railway station – its final destination. And it is warm.

Pavlina, the manager of UNFPA Moldova’s safe space at the station, greets arriving passengers. Safe spaces are facilities set up by UNFPA to address the humanitarian and psychosocial needs of refugees and others. Inside, newly arrived Ukrainians are offered compassionate care: First aid, dignity kits, essential information, cups of tea.

Safe spaces also provide reproductive health and crisis prevention services. For the hundreds of thousands of women fleeing Ukraine, the risk of gender-based violence remains high, as does the risk that their reproductive health needs will go unmet – with potentially life-threatening consequences.

A safe space centre in the Chișinău railway station building. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

Pavlina recalls a particular woman who passed through the Chișinău safe space on her way from Kyiv to her parents in Tbilisi, Georgia. “We began to talk, and she burst into tears. She said that her husband stayed in Kyiv, and she was pregnant,” Pavlina said.

The UNFPA team provided the young woman with some essentials and offered psychosocial support. She later wrote to Pavlina from Tbilisi, asking where UNFPA was located in the city.

“The next day, she said she was bleeding,” she said. “The girl lost her child.”

Chișinău railway station. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

The train makes a reverse trip from Chișinău for Kyiv every day at 5:45 p.m. It used to run every two days, but the schedule changed for the holidays.

Although returning to Ukraine carries certain risks, many choose to make the trip back across the border to celebrate Christmas and the arrival of the new year in their home country among family and friends. The pull is strong. “East or West, home is best,” one passenger, 29-year-old Yulia, said.

With heavy bags in hand, people at the Chișinău railway station on their way to Kyiv head towards a blue train with yellow stripes – the colours of the Ukrainian flag. In 18 hours, the train will arrive at the Kyiv railway station, decorated with a Christmas tree whose lights are powered by pedalling a bicycle. Hugs and smiles await those reuniting with loved ones.

For the train of hope’s passengers, the rail link is a lifeline, providing both a route to safety and a way back home.

Kyiv landscape near the railway station. © UNFPA/Mihail Kalarashan.

UNFPA’s humanitarian response to the war stretches across Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and several other countries hosting refugees. The agency is working with its partners to deliver essential services for women and young people, including by expanding safe spaces and online services to support survivors of gender-based violence and by providing reproductive health services and psychosocial support in hard-to-reach areas. As of December 2022, a total of 118 tons of life-saving reproductive health, medical and hygiene supplies had been distributed to health facilities in areas affected by the war.

In Moldova specifically, UNFPA is responding to the protection and health needs of refugees, including women and girls, through interventions such as Orange Safe Spaces, where refugees and host communities can get support related to gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health. UNFPA also helps upgrade perinatal centers to ensure safe births, and works with the Government to ensure refugee women and girls have free access to sexual and reproductive health services and psychosocial support.