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WEATHER

‘Solidarity in crisis’: Financial aid pours in for German flood victims

After catastrophic flash floods submerged numerous villages and valleys in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the state government has set up an emergency aid fund for those affected, while football organisations have also made donations.

Published: 16 July 2021 19:02 CEST
'Solidarity in crisis': Financial aid pours in for German flood victims
A mountain of destroyed furniture lies in the sodden streets on July 16th after the Kyll River broke its banks. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

In a press release announcing the new donations account, state premier Malu Dreyer said the state had experienced a wave of solidarity and helpfulness in the wake of the natural disaster.

READ ALSO: LATEST: More than 100 dead after flood disaster in western Germany

“This national catastrophe shows once again that Rhineland-Palatinate stands together in these difficult times. That makes me incredibly proud,” she said.

“We are currently receiving numerous inquiries as to how people affected by the storm in Rhineland-Palatinate can be supported,” state minister of the interior Roger Lewentz and state minister of finance Doris Ahnen said on Friday.  

“This shows that the population is really willing to help.”

The donations pot was set up by the State Ministry of the Interior at Sparkasse Mainz.

Donations can be made using the keyword “Katastrophenhilfe Hochwasser” (Disaster Aid Flood). Bank details for the account can be found in the state press release.

Football organisations raise €3m for flood victims

The German Football League and the German Football Association have also promised financial aid to the victims of the flood disaster in western Germany.

In a joint announcement on Friday, the organisations want to set up an aid fund with three million euros.


Residents of a flood-hit town try to clear the mud from gardens and streets on Friday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

“The images of the floods and devastation, the full extent of this catastrophe, leave us affected and appalled,” said a joint statement. “Our thoughts go with the relatives of the deceased, the injured and the many people in need.”

READ ALSO: Why have so many died in the German floods?

The money will not be able to alleviate human suffering, they said.

“But we hope to be able to provide support together at least in some areas. In this crisis situation, solidarity is a given.”

In addition, the DFB has also contacted the European Football Union UEFA, which has also agreed to support.

Government will do ‘everything in its power’ to offer support 

In the wake of the disaster, German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) promised unmitigated support at all governmental levels for those who had been affected by the floods.

“You can trust that every part of our state – from the federal, state and local governments – will do everything possible to save lives, avert dangers and alleviate hardship, even under the most difficult of conditions,” she said in a press conference on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Merkel pledges ‘full support’ to flood victims during White House visit

Minister of the Interior, Horst Seehofer (CSU) and Minister for Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) have both said that those who have lost their belongings in the flood will be given financial aid quickly and unbureaucratically.

“These are great tragedies, they can hardly be put into words,” explained Klöckner, who is also the CDU chairwoman for Rhineland-Palatinate. “The federal government will be at the side of those affected with all the means at its disposal.”

Having returned from a diplomatic visit to the United States, Merkel is said to be in discussions about visiting the flood-hit areas in the coming days.

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FLOODS

German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

Water levels on the Elbe and Oder rivers in Germany are rising, sparking preparations for floods as the clean-up across central Europe gets underway.

Published: 19 September 2024 10:12 CEST
German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

As several countries in Europe face the devastating aftermath of severe flooding following torrential rain, communities in some regions of Germany are trying to manage rising water levels. 

According to a forecast by the state flood centre, the water on the Elbe river has not yet reached expected peaks. In the city of Dresden, the Elbe rose above the six-metre mark on Wednesday. There, as well as in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the flood peak is expected on Thursday.

There is a cautious all-clear along other rivers in the east and south of Germany. Further north, however, Brandenburg is looking anxiously at the Oder river, which is expected to bring more water in the coming days.

READ ALSO: Parts of Germany hit by flooding as torrential rain wreaks havoc across central Europe

Flood crisis teams are due to meet in Frankfurt (Oder), located at the border with Poland, and other municipalities in Brandenburg on Thursday. A level 1 flood alert was issued for sections of the river on Wednesday.

According to the State Office for the Environment, floodplains and meadows close to the banks are expected to start flooding, with the areas of the Oder village of Ratzdorf to Eisenhüttenstadt particularly affected.

The state office believes the highest alert level – level 4 – with a water level of around six metres will be reached in the next few days near Ratzdorf, where the Oder reaches Brandenburg territory.

Clean-up work underway in central and eastern Europe

In the flood-hit areas from Poland to the Czech Republic and Austria, the clean-up work has now begun, but the situation is only slowly easing.

In many places, the emergency services are still struggling with masses of water. Soldiers are also providing support in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the authorities are not yet giving the all-clear. So far, more than 20 people have tragically lost their lives in the region due to the extreme weather.

In the Polish city of Wroclaw in the west of the country, the flood wave was not expected until Thursday night. As several tributaries that also carry a lot of water flow into the Oder between Olawa and Wroclaw, the possibility of flooding in the Lower Silesian metropolis cannot be ruled out, said an expert.

Flooding in Bresgau Poland

A drone captures the high water levels in Bresgau, Poland, on September 19th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/PAP | Maciej Kulczynski

Flood defences in Wroclaw have been reinforced as a precautionary measure. One third of the city of 630,000 inhabitants was flooded during the Oder flood in 1997.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Poland on Thursday afternoon. According to the EU Commission, the trip is being organised at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are also expected to attend the meeting.

The talks are likely to focus on the question of funds from Brussels for reconstruction although the extent of the damage is still unclear.

With reporting from DPA

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