Massive flooding has occurred in Central and Eastern Europe over the past few days following torrential rainfall. Ostrava is one of the cities that has been hit particularly hard by the floods. Several rivers converge in the Czech Republic's third largest city, including the Oder and Opava. All of the watercourses are currently experiencing severe flooding. Some dams were recently unable to withstand the pressure of the floods, and 100 cubic meters of water per second have been flowing into the city through the breaches ever since. Firefighters and military forces are bringing the population to safety in rubber dinghies.
„Dresden hilft“ alliance takes action
Ostrava and Dresden have been twin cities since 1971 and are therefore in particularly close contact. Dresden's Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert is pledging his support to those affected and is relying on the “Dresden hilft” alliance, which links arche noVa and the city.
“In Dresden, the terrible news and images of the flood disaster in Ostrava are causing horror, compassion and solidarity. Our thoughts are with the citizens of our twin city. Memories of the 2002 floods in Dresden are coming back to us and we know that help is urgently needed now, including from Dresden,” emphasized Mayor Hilbert.
As direct aid, we are currently preparing the delivery of 15 building dryers, as experience has shown that these are difficult to obtain and also very expensive in the event of flood disasters. For this purpose, arche noVa is activating its own emergency aid fund, which we keep ready for cases like this.
The city is also providing arche noVa with EUR 5,000 for emergency aid in Ostrava as part of the “Dresden hilft” alliance. The organizers of the KRAFTWERK concert and the City Biathlon were also quick to respond with a donation of EUR 1,000 each, as they were able to hold both events in Dresden at the weekend despite the tense situation. SachsenEnergie AG has also announced a donation of EUR 5,000. Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert and arche noVa would like to thank the aforementioned supporters for their commitment and ask for further donations for the flooded twin city of Ostrava.
Expertise in flood disasters
arche noVa provided flood relief in Saxony in both 2002 and 2013. “Our recent work in the Ahr valley showed us just how serious the effects of a flood disaster can be. To this day, social facilities such as schools and daycare centers in particular are still suffering from the consequences of the destruction,” says Managing Director Dr. Jens Ola. “Ostrava will also need support to recover from the effects.”
Following the flood disaster in western Germany in 2021, arche noVa supported sports clubs, schools, daycare centers and other social institutions in rebuilding and purchasing new equipment that had been destroyed. In total, the aid benefited 23 organizations and thus more than 5,000 people.
