October 1, 2024 – Communities across Central and Eastern Europe are still reeling from historic flooding which started two and a half weeks ago, and in some regions, caused the worst rainfall in a century. On September 12, 2024, torrential rains began along the Polish-Czech border and continued through September 15. The impact on local communities in Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as other countries in the region, has been catastrophic. At least 26 people have died due to the floods.
In the Czech Republic, North Moravia and the Jeseníky Mountains were some of the most affected areas of the country, where thousands were evacuated, infrastructure was severely damaged, and many families lost their homes. It is in these regions where CARE Czech Republic is focusing its response efforts by supporting kindergartens and primary schools, particularly children from the most disadvantaged communities which have been devastated by the storms.
“CARE Czech Republic is prioritizing its post-storm efforts on empowering women caregivers and promoting education for girls in the most excluded regions. This is crucial for the long-term recovery and resilience of these communities,” said Katarína Klamková, National Director of CARE Czech Republic.
The most affected regions in Poland are Lower Silesia and Opole where CARE Poland has been working alongside partners since 2022, providing psychosocial and educational support, as well as case management, for thousands of Ukrainian refugees living in the area. In Lądek Zdrój, one of the worst- affected cities, three accommodation centers housing 90 mothers with children were left uninhabitable by the floods.
In response to this crisis, CARE Poland will be supporting one of its local partners, HumanDoc. Given the level of immediate assistance and aid that has come in, CARE and HumanDoc’s work will focus on medium- and longer-term needs, and disaster recovery.
“The recent floods in Central Europe have caused widespread destruction, displacing thousands of families and destroying homes, schools and livelihoods. Along with government support, the outpouring of solidarity from Polish society has been remarkable. Volunteers, NGO workers and rescue teams have received an influx of in-kind donations, sometimes more than needed,” said Piotr Sasin, CARE Poland’s country director. “That’s why we at CARE want to focus on longer-term recovery. Working with our local partner, HumanDoc, CARE will provide psychosocial support and case management to the most vulnerable, including women and girls and Ukrainian refugees, in the coming months to help them cope with the enormous challenges and trauma brought on by this disaster.”
Dominika Springer, member of the board of directors at HumanDoc highlighted the evolving needs in Opole and Lower Silesia and how the storm response is moving from the emergency to the recovery phase: “The situation in the flooded regions has changed. The rains hit us more than two weeks ago. First, basic, immediate aid was needed, but that has been secured. We’re now looking at the medium-term situation, where psychosocial support is crucial. People are now seeing the extent of the damage, there are a lot of emotions.”
Speaking of the critical role HumanDoc and CARE will play in the weeks and months ahead, she added: “The money that will come from the government and from insurance companies, for those who had insurance, will not fully cover the cost of rebuilding. These people have lost everything, from kitchens, even forks and knives, to schoolbooks and notebooks for their children. People are also stressed because winter is approaching. There may be a situation where people will not be able to repair buildings before winter and they will have to be demolished. With CARE, we want to apply case management approach that will be able to help the most vulnerable members of the communities. This approach is based on the assessment of individual needs and development of tailored plans by the beneficiary and a caseworker. It will include referral and assistance in accessing specialized services, psychosocial support, and in-kind and financial assistance.”
Global warming results in more intense and destructive storms. Human-induced climate change made this extreme weather event twice as likely and 7% more intense. If global warming rises to 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels, the likelihood of this type of event occurring increases by a further 50% compared to today, currently 1.3°C higher than pre-industrial levels.
CARE calls on wealthy and high-emitting countries responsible for this crisis to deliver on their commitments related to climate finance, especially funding for local adaptation initiatives and accelerating the roll out of the Loss and Damage Fund. Climate funding must be accessible to local organizations, particularly women-led organizations, who are at the forefront of actions to adapt to extreme weather.
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