Poland announces 1 billion zloty support fund for flood victims

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that 1 billion zloty (€234 million) has been put aside to support victims of ongoing major floods. Those affected by the disaster will each be able to claim up to 10,000 zloty in immediate aid as well as larger amounts for long-term reconstruction.

At an emergency meeting of the cabinet today, ministers also approved a draft regulation that will introduce a state of emergency in response to the floods. Media reports indicate that the disaster has so far claimed at least five lives, as well as causing enormous material damage.

Tusk spoke to the press shortly after the cabinet meeting and before departing for Wrocław in southwest Poland, the area most badly affected by the floods so far. He said that further details of emergency measures would be announced when he arrived there.

“We have a reserve of one billion złoty for the needs of places and people affected by the flood,” said the prime minister. “The finance minister has assured me that there will be no shortage of funds for assistance.”

Tusk said that the support of up to 10,000 zloty would be available to flood victims by applying to their local authorities. He promised that the process would be made as simple as possible.

In the longer term, there would be support of up to 100,000 zloty available for repairing damaged apartments and up to 200,000 zloty for repairing entire residential buildings, reports broadcaster TVN.

The prime minister added that the government would be “getting what we can from the European Union in terms of financial resources” to help with recovery efforts.

Yesterday, Tusk announced that his government was planning to introduce a so-called state of natural disaster in response to the floods. It would be the first time this has ever happened in Polish history.

After today’s cabinet meeting, a draft resolution to introduce the measure was published, indicating that for now it would be imposed only in parts of the three provinces – Silesia, Opole and Lower Silesia – worst affected by the disaster.

A state of natural disaster gives the government far-reaching powers, including to commandeer private property and restrict certain freedoms. But Tusk said today that, “we will try to use the tools with great restraint and necessary sensitivity”.

“It is not our intention to restrict civil rights beyond any necessity,” he added, noting that, for example, forced evacuation orders would only be used as a last resort.

Earlier on Monday, Szymon Hołownia, the speaker of the Sejm, the more powerful lower house of Poland’s parliament, had announced the calling of a special session tomorrow to discuss the crisis, including the government’s plans to introduce a state of natural disaster.

Amid the devastation caused by the floods, a number of charities and local authorities around Poland have also organised fundraisers and drives for donations to support those affected by the disaster.

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Main image credit: Tomasz Pietrzyk / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Agata Pyka

Agata Pyka is an assistant editor at Notes from Poland. She is a journalist and a political communication student at the University of Amsterdam. She specialises in Polish and European politics as well as investigative journalism and has previously written for Euractiv and The European Correspondent.