LARISA (dpa-AFX) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants to talk to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next Tuesday about EU aid for the flooded areas in Greece. Mitsotakis announced this on Sunday evening at a press conference in the central Greek city of Larisa.
The flood disaster in Greece is also related to climate change, said Mitsotakis. Overall, the situation in the EU requires that the alliance of states rise to this challenge. EU Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley had already called for EU help for the flood areas last Thursday. As with previous natural disasters in other member states, the EU solidarity fund should be used for reconstruction, the SPD politician said.
Mitsotakis promised the affected people in the flooded areas quick and unbureaucratic help. This applies to private individuals as well as to farmers and livestock breeders. An online platform is scheduled to open on Monday where people can submit relevant applications.
From last Monday to Thursday, a severe storm settled over central Greece. Heavy rain flooded villages and towns in many places. The amount of precipitation reached unprecedented levels of more than 700 liters per square meter in less than 24 hours.
The severe storm has been over since Friday. The damage is enormous and many people still need to be rescued. There are at least 14 deaths – there are fears that the number could rise because not all of the villages isolated by the water have yet been reached./axa/DP/he