European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on Thursday the allocation of 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in aid for member states grappling with the 'heartbreaking' aftermath of the floods triggered by Storm Boris. The storm, which hit central and eastern Europe last week, has claimed 24 lives as of Wednesday, with some areas still at risk from rising waters.
Von der Leyen made her remarks in the Polish city of Wroclaw, alongside leaders from four flood-affected countries. 'On one hand, it was heartbreaking to witness the destruction and devastation caused by the floods,' she told reporters. 'But on the other hand, it was heartwarming to see the immense solidarity among the people in your countries,' she added.
Von der Leyen highlighted that the European Union has two funding sources—cohesion funds and the solidarity fund—that can be utilized to 'assist with funding for repair and reconstruction' of the damage. 'At first glance, 10 billion euros are feasible to mobilize from the cohesion funds for the affected countries. This is an immediate emergency response,' she noted.
The region was battered by strong winds and heavy rains last week, resulting in five deaths in Austria, seven in Poland, seven in Romania, and five in the Czech Republic. Von der Leyen convened in Wroclaw—a city that also suffered devastating floods in 1997—with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech counterpart Petr Fiala, Slovakia's Robert Fico, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
