Orenburg, 12 April 2024 (WAI): The Orenburg region, situated on the border between Russia and Kazakhstan, is grappling with unprecedented floods caused by melting snow from the Ural Mountains. These floods have led to widespread evacuations and submerged thousands of homes.
What Has Happened?
Record Water Levels: The Ural River, Europe’s third-longest, breached a dam barrier in Orsk, leading to extensive flooding in the region.
Evacuations: Over 10,000 homes are underwater, and over 6,000 people have been evacuated in the Orenburg region.
Threat to Orenburg: Waters in Orenburg, a city of 500,000 residents located about 300 kilometers (180 miles) downstream from Orsk, are expected to reach record levels.
State of Emergency: The regions of Kurgan and Tyumen, east of the Ural Mountains, have declared a state of emergency and urged residents to leave flood-prone areas.
Presidential Response: President Vladimir Putin has called for an emergency commission to address the crisis.
Human Impact:
Protests in Orsk: In the worst-hit city of Orsk, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the official response. Videos on social media captured about 100 people chanting “Shame!” and “Putin, help!”—a rare display of dissent in Russia.
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Kazakhstan’s Crisis: Across the border in Kazakhstan, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from 10 regions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described it as the country’s worst natural disaster in 80 years.
As the Ural River swells, authorities closely monitor the situation and carry out further evacuations. The mayor of Orenburg has urgently called on all residents in the flood zone to leave their homes.
This environmental catastrophe underscores the need for coordinated efforts between Russia and Kazakhstan to mitigate the impact of climate change and protect vulnerable communities.
I am Bushra Tahir. Doing BS in International Relations from National University Of Modern Languages ( NUML).
