Dramatic images and news continue to come from the Ahr, the Rhine and the Eifel. Floods due to persistent and heavy rainfall have left a trail of devastation. Houses have been washed out, roads flooded, bridges destroyed. Many people are facing the ruins of their existence. More than 150 have lost their lives, hundreds are injured. One thing is already certain: The road back to a new normality will take a long time.
arche noVa on relief mission
To support the affected people quickly and unbureaucratically, arche noVa starts a relief operation on site via the alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft together with the alliance partner Arbeiter- und Samariterbund (ASB). To be able to provide effective help, we have already released 50,000 euros from the reserves for flood relief, and the first donations have already been received. Following emergency aid, these will also be used for longer-term measures focusing on reconstruction.
"Experience has taught us that especially small associations and civil society organizations often struggle for years with the consequences of such a disaster and are not sufficiently equipped to repair all the damage," says Mathias Anderson, Executive Director of arche noVa. "This is where we want to contribute our expertise and provide targeted support to those affected."
Reconstruction expertise
In our flood relief project, after severe floods in 2013, arche noVa supported more than 120 non-profit and community institutions in Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic in their reconstruction. Following the motto: The facilities have to be able to work again as soon as possible, we helped associations, kindergartens and other institutions to apply for funding, to plan reconstruction measures and, finally, we took over the financing of own funds, without which many of the facilities would not have been able to cope with the flood damages. The entire project ranged from emergency aid and clean-up work to psychosocial aftercare, reconstruction and flood prevention.
In 2013, our flood relief efforts in Saxony and neighboring regions were carried by a great wave of support. Now we want to show solidarity in the current disaster as well.
In addition to our help in Western Germany, we are also closely observing the situation in Saxony and other areas in Germany affected by the floods, to become active in a supportive way if necessary. For the flood relief, arche noVa is urgently dependent on further donations.
arche noVa worldwide and close
As an internationally active aid organization, we are committed to the principles of humanity and solidarity. It does not matter to us where someone lives, how someone thinks, what someone believes, whom someone loves or what gender someone is. Our projects are always inclusive. What matters is the need of the people affected and our ability to help effectively. In this case, we do it on our own doorstep.
