EU provides new humanitarian assistance to Macedonia after deadly floods
The European Commission announced on August 15 a sum of 150 000 euro in humanitarian assistance to support people affected by the recent flash floods and landslides in Macedonia.
This follows EU support mobilised via the Civil Protection Mechanism for the country earlier this week, the EC said.
“The EU has stepped up its support to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at this time of need with new funding. We have increased our assistance to also cover basic humanitarian needs such as the provision of food and water to the affected communities,” European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides said.
On August 8, Macedonia activated the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and a team of four experts has been deployed to help to assess the damage and provide recommendations in particular for the water and sewage systems that were heavily impacted by the floods.
Six participating states (Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia) have also responded with emergency relief items coordinated through the mechanism.
In addition, the Commission is providing Copernicus satellite imagery to the emergency services operating in the affected areas, the EC said.
On August 7, torrential rain hit Macedonia’s capital Skopje, leaving at least 21 people dead, some drowned in their cars as the rain inundated streets. The flooding caused extensive damage to property, with initial estimates stating that more than 5000 homes in the capital and elsewhere had been affected by the deluge.
