First THW team on the way
Germany helps Slovenia against flood disaster
08/07/2023 4:23 p.m
Bridges are torn down, entire cities are flooded: severe flooding causes enormous damage in Slovenia. The call for help to the EU partners follows. A first rescue team from Germany and important technical aids are already on their way.
With the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), Germany is supporting EU partner Slovenia, which is fighting severe flooding. “Germany is helping and is sending volunteers from THW as soon as possible at the request of Slovenia,” wrote Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Twitter. “We are dismayed by the terrible flood disaster in Slovenia and Austria. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone who lost their homes.”
According to deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann, THW Rosenheim is pulling together emergency services from ten local groups. The Foreign Office will bear the costs of 700,000 euros. Any further help will depend on the situation and needs. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said: “We Europeans stand by each other closely in the event of serious natural disasters.”
First team to arrive Monday
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, an advance team should arrive in Slovenia on Monday. It specializes in salvage work. The THW will then send further forces. It will also bring clearing technology such as excavators and two mobile bridges to the disaster area. These could be set up at short notice in order to temporarily restore infrastructure, said a ministry spokesman at the federal press conference.
“The emergency services will explore the structures on site, establish contacts with local authorities and determine specific needs,” said THW President Sabine Lackner about the advance team. “In this way we can then bring additional forces with the right material on the way in a targeted manner.” This Tuesday, specialists from the specialist group followed with a crawler excavator. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said requests for help had also been received there. These would be checked. In the foreground, however, are the civilian aid organizations. If there is further need, the Ministry of Defense will see what is feasible.