European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday in Wroclaw, Poland, that €10 billion in aid from the EU Cohesion Fund would be provided to Central European countries affected by the floods.
Since last week, strong winds, unusually heavy rains and flooding have killed 24 people in the region.
“An emergency response”
“At first glance, it is possible to mobilise 10 billion euros from the Cohesion Fund for the affected countries. This is an emergency response,” said von der Leyen after a meeting with the leaders of the EU, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.
“It was heartbreaking for me to see the destruction and devastation” caused by the floods, she added. “But I must also say that it is heartwarming to see the enormous solidarity between the people of their countries,” Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.
The head of the European Commission said the European Union had two potential sources of aid – the Cohesion Fund and the Solidarity Fund – that it could use to “help finance repair and reconstruction”.
Since last week, strong winds and torrential rain have killed five people in Austria, seven in Poland, seven in Romania and five in the Czech Republic.
Source: BFM TV
