Catastrophic floods in Slovenia. This is how the Polish army will help

“A military reconnaissance group has already flown to Slovenia. The soldiers will determine the scale of assistance that we will provide to our allies in the fight against the effects of the catastrophic flood. The tasks of the Polish Army will include i.a. construction of a temporary bridge and reconstruction of roads,” wrote the head of the Ministry of National Defence. Earlier, Mariusz Błaszczak announced that experienced soldiers of the engineering forces with specialized equipment would be sent to the site.

Catastrophic floods in Slovenia. European Union financial aid

Between Friday and Sunday, Slovenia was hit by massive floods, the worst since independence.

The European Commission reports that heavy rains caused widespread damage, leading to the collapse of at least seven major and regional bridges. They damaged roads and energy infrastructure. Thousands of people had to leave their homes and many were evacuated by helicopters and boats.

Leon Behin, Acting Director General for Civil Protection and Relief in the Case of Natural Disasters, stressed that the change in weather conditions has led to an improvement in the situation, but it still remains very difficult.

The European Union will allocate at least EUR 400 million to the affected country. “We have a good package of immediate, medium and long-term support for Slovenia,” said European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen at a joint press conference with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob during a visit to the flood-affected area.

She said the country could also ask for help from the Next Generation EU fund, which has €2.7 billion for Slovenia. She added that EUR 3.3 billion of other EU funds already allocated to Slovenia could be used for immediate support after the floods.