EU chief : On Thursday European Commission the president Ursula von der Leyen, promised 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in funding to member countries suffering from “heartbreaking” destruction caused by Storm Boris floods.
On Wednesday, the death toll from the storm that hit central and eastern Europe last week climbed to 24, and some areas remain under threat from rising waters.
Von der Leyen spoke in Wroclaw, Poland, alongside the leaders of four flood-affected countries.
“It was for me on the one hand terrible to see the devastation and loss of life through the floods,” she said to the media.
“But I must also say it was on another side heartwarming to see the tremendous solidarity between the citizens in your countries,” she maintained.
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Von von Leyen stated that the European Union had two sources of cash, cohesion funds and the solidarity fund, that it could use to “help with funding to repair and reconstruct” the damage.
“At first glance, it appears that 10 billion euros may be mobilised from the cohesion funds for the afflicted nations. “This is an emergency reaction right now,” she explained.
Cohesion funds are generally financed in part by member countries, but in this case, von der Leyen indicated that it would be ” 100% European finances, no co-funding.”
‘Destroyed all.’
Last week, strong winds and heavy rains devastated the region, killing five people in Austria, seven in Poland, seven in Romania, and five in the Czech Republic.
In several areas, the flood “literally destroyed everything.” The environment resembles that of a war, not a flood,” Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak told reporters on Thursday.
The EU president met with Poland’s Prime Minister
The EU president met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech counterpart Petr Fiala, Slovakia’s Robert Fico, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and von der Leyen in Wroclaw, a historic city of 670,000 inhabitants in southwest Poland.
Residents in Wroclaw, which had been hit by terrible floods in 1997, became increasingly frightened as the water rose.
They peaked early Thursday.
While the water flow has fallen than it was in 1997, dams could be jeopardized if the high water continues for several days.
Tusk warning on Thursday “against an atmosphere of unwarranted euphoria and relief… that our worst is behind us”.
However, 70-year-old Wroclaw pensioner Ewa Powazka remained optimistic.
“Sandbags are everywhere, which we did not have in 1997. This time around, the town started getting ready just a few days ago,” she informed AFP.
“I’m hoping it won’t get flooded.”
Funding from the grassroots –
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not attend the conference since he had postponed all of his overseas obligations this week due to the storm, despite the fact that his country has not been significantly hit.
Romania’s pm was additionally absent because of the defense conference.
Flood waters in Poland have ravaged multiple cities and villages, demolishing houses, bringing down bridges, and severely damaging road and rail infrastructure.
Residents in certain areas still do not have access to secure drinking water or electricity.
Grassroots funding projects have been organized across the country as local governments continue to estimate damage, which could cost hundreds of millions.
The Polish government says it has approved 470 million euros in direct relief for flood-affected families and communities.
Austria has announced that its disaster relief fund will be boosted to one billion euros to aid flood victims.
On Friday and Saturday, heavy rain fell on the Czech Republic, raising river levels mostly in the country’s north and northeast regions.
The floods that destroyed homes, halted road and train traffic, and caused power outages has already receded, showing considerable devastation.
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