Aid from EU Civil Protection Mechanism coming to Slovenia
Brussels, 7 August - European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced on Monday that flood relief assistance to Slovenia was on its way from Germany and France. He called on the entire European civil protection community to respond to "this overwhelming disaster".
Mežica
Floods wreak havoc in Mežica, in the northern region of Koroška.
Photo: Mežica Municipality
"After Slovenia's request for assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, offers of heavy excavators and engineering teams started to come in immediately," the European commission from Slovenia said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Lenarčič added that assistance from Germany and France is already on its way, thanking the two countries for their quick response, and saying that "we expect more offers to follow".
France is sending two excavators with engineering units to Slovenia, while Germany is sending two prefabricated temporary bridges and two excavators with the accompanying staff, the European Commission said.
"I call on the entire European civil protection community to respond to this overwhelming disaster," Lenarčič also said in reference to the devastating floods that have hit large parts of Slovenia.
The EU triggered its Civil Protection Mechanism for Slovenia on Sunday, and the list of the country's needs has been sent to individual member states.
Slovenia is seeking tracked excavators of various sizes, loader excavators, vehicles specialised for management of watercourses and road clearance, all with engineering teams, and prefabricated temporary bridges up to 40 metres in length.
Slovenia has also asked for the activation of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service to assist the authorities in responding to the floods and landslides and their satellite surveillance.
Several maps of the affected areas have been made as part of the effort, and a liaison officer from the Emergency Response Coordination Centre is also on the ground, the European Commission said.
Slovenia has also requested from NATO through the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre five transport helicopters, 200 soldiers for protection, rescue and assistance tasks and 20 prefabricated temporary bridges.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today that he had spoken with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob about the floods.
He said on X that the allies had stepped up immediate support, including helicopters, bridges and engineering experts, and also expressed solidarity with Slovenia and condolences to those affected by the floods.