DN: IP/97/935 =A0=A0=A0 Date: 1997-10-31
ip/97/935
Brussels
The European Commission has approved
humanitarian aid worth a total of ECU 1.606 million for victims of floods
in Poland and the Czech Republic. The aid, managed by the European
Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable European non-governmental
organisations to carry out a programme of emergency repairs of schools
and homes before winter sets in. This grant tops up ECU 2.5 million
of humanitarian aid made available this summer at the peak of the crisis.
Central and Eastern Europe were hit
by the worst floods ever to affect the region in July. Thousands
of people are still displaced, while industry and agriculture have been
very severely disrupted. Pending the massive reconstruction that
will have to take place, ECHO is assisting those in need with targeted
programmes of basic rehabilitation.
ECHO's partners in this action are:
Caritas (Belgium), which will carry out basic repairs to some 15
schools in Poland. About 9,000 children will benefit. Associazione
Volontaria per il Servizio Internazionale (AVSI) (Italy) will carry
out rehabilitation to 30 heavily-damaged houses in the municipalities of
Zdzieszowice and Renska Wies, as well as to the school in the former. Essential
household goods will be distributed to around 300 families. Caritas
(Austria) will carry out repairs to homes in the Czech Republic (Olomouc
and Ostrava). Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA -
Germany) will repair two badly-damaged schools in the Polish city of
Opole. Equilibre (France) will repair the school in Krosna, in the
district of Nowy Sacz (Poland), with ECHO providing nearly half the funding.