The EU has announced the allocation of €10 billion in aid to countries severely impacted by recent flooding.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s declaration was made during her visit to Wrocław, Poland, a city heavily affected by the Oder River floods.
The EU’s announcement, reported by Euronews, came as von der Leyen met with leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Romania—countries hardest hit by Storm Boris.
The aid, comprising entirely European aid without co-financing, aims to be a swift emergency response to the devastation wrought by the floods.
“This is an immediate reaction at the moment,” the EU’s von der Leyen stated, emphasizing that the €10 billion from cohesion funds will be used for reconstruction efforts.
In Poland, the storm has obliterated entire villages, swept away bridges, severed roads, and damaged railway lines.
Some regions remain isolated, struggling without access to drinking water and electricity.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued an urgent aid for over $13 million in emergency aid to assist 50,000 families affected by floods in Yemen.
The IOM stated that severe flooding throughout August caused widespread devastation, impacting thousands of vulnerable families across several Yemeni provinces.
The agency highlighted the growing adverse effects of climate change on the most vulnerable populations, especially internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of whom have been displaced multiple times and are now left with no possessions due to dwindling humanitarian resources.
