In mid-July, heavy rainfall hit the regions of Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Bavaria in Germany, as well as Belgium and Luxembourg. Several hundreds of people perished in the massive floods that followed, which also destroyed hundreds of homes and left people without water, electricity and shelter.
After the floods, the Red Cross' teams were immediatly mobilized to bring an emergency help and help victims. These interventions were carried in a difficult and complex context due to the number of sinistred and unattainable zones, but also because of the diversity of the needs to be covered and destroyed facilities. Teams were deployed in in Belgium, in Luxembourg and in Germany through different actions: first aid help, analysing the needs of the population, and bring equipment. The support of the Rescue & Recover Fund allowed to give 2000 hot meals to families affected by the floods.
After the floods, IFAW supported several local partner to save animals in distress. Thanks to the help of the Rescue & Recover Fund, IFAW could buy aid equipment for the actions in Germany. It helped the rescue workers to reach animals sticked in sinistred zones. Animals are often the forgotten vicitms of disasters because they aren't part of rescue plans and protocoles. Sometimes, their owners are ready to put their lives in danger in order to save them.
