Ukraine aid package
Germany sends fire extinguishers and tents
3/19/2022 8:23 am
Six of the ten million euros that the Development Ministry is providing for emergency aid in eastern Ukraine have already been spent. For the remainder of the money, Germany is now supplying heavy equipment for firefighting and civil defense – plus water tanks, tents and sleeping bags.
According to Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze, Germany is increasing aid to Ukraine, including with heavy fire-fighting equipment and for civil defense of the population during the war. “We help, for example, with fire extinguishers, articulated lorries, power generators, accommodation for people fleeing and psychological support,” said the SPD politician to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
On Friday, 21 so-called portable pumps as fire extinguishers mounted on trailers, as well as large quantities of protective clothing, rescue equipment and an evacuation bus were sent to the war-torn country. In addition, 2,000 power generators and numerous water tanks, tents and sleeping bags are on their way to the Ukraine. Nine semi-trailers for transporting heavy fire-fighting equipment are to follow on Monday and around 1,600 breathing apparatus on Wednesday, as the minister announced.
According to the minister, the partners in the relief operation are the German Fire Brigade Association, which is procuring the material, and the Society for International Cooperation, which is responsible for transporting it to the Polish-Ukrainian border, where the relief supplies are to be handed over to the Ukrainian civil protection service.
The relief supplies are said to be worth around four million euros, which come from the development department’s emergency aid program for eastern Ukraine. It comprises ten million euros, six of which have already been spent.