Geneva: The UN issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could cause an environmental catastrophe and have catastrophic humanitarian ramifications for tens of thousands of people.

A large Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine came under attack, causing a torrent of water to be released that inundated two dozen villages, flooded a small city, and forced 17,000 people to flee.

The environmental and humanitarian effects of the attack, for which Moscow and Kiev traded blame, were likely to be much more significant, the UN cautioned.

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"We are gravely concerned about the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam,... and the severe humanitarian impact on hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the front line," the UN agency for humanitarian affairs OCHA stated.

The agency noted that "thousands have lost their homes overnight," and that "thousands more have lost access to water, food, and basic services," citing reports from Ukrainian authorities that nearly 40 towns and villages were fully or partially flooded.

It stated that "the impact is also anticipated to be severe in the Russian-controlled areas." It would also have an effect on Crimea, which reportedly receives water from the Kakhovka reservoir.

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OCHA warned that while the extent and effects of the dam's destruction and the Kakhovka Reservoir's reduction were still being assessed, they were "projected to have severe and longer-term consequences on the humanitarian situation in the area."

The document issued a warning that, among other things, "flooding and fast-moving water can move mines and explosive ordnance to new areas which previously had been assessed as safe, thus putting more people in danger."

OCHA reported that urgent humanitarian assistance, including water supplies, was being provided to more than 16,000 people.

In the meantime, the UN's International Organisation for Migration bemoaned the serious harm done to necessary infrastructure and issued a dire warning about "an environmental disaster looming."

"This attack has put thousands of lives at risk, caused severe environmental damage, and led to further serious strain on response services in a country already dealing with the humanitarian fallout of more than a year of war," IOM chief Antonio Vitorino said in the statement.

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The agency stated that it was rushing clean water supplies to areas receiving evacuees because its initial assessment of the situation showed that food and drinking water were the top immediate needs.

Waterborne diseases pose a serious threat, it was warned, given the impact on water supplies and the likelihood of flooding.