Slovenia Seeks Assistance After Devastating Floods
The Slovenian authorities have requested help and equipment from EU and NATO partners following summer storms and floods, which the Prime Minister described as the worst natural disaster of its kind in the country. According to Deutsche Welle, four people lost their lives in the disaster.
On Sunday, Slovenia reached out to the European Union and the NATO military alliance, appealing for technical assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the floods. The extreme weather conditions that wreaked havoc on Friday started to ease on Saturday, allowing the authorities to assess the extent of the damage.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes, with many being relocated to safer areas by rescue teams using helicopters and boats. Among the casualties were two Dutch alpinists who perished in the mountains near Kranj on Friday. At least five Dutch citizens are reported missing due to the extreme weather conditions, according to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The country has requested 30 pumps and 30 specialized vehicles to regulate water flow, along with an engineering team to service the equipment. Additionally, Slovenia has asked the EU and NATO for 30 modular bridges, each measuring up to 40 meters, and appealed to NATO for five heavy-duty military helicopters with a minimum payload capacity of five tons and 200 soldiers to assist with protection, rescue, and aid efforts.
"This is the worst natural disaster in Slovenia's recent history, affecting two-thirds of the country," said Prime Minister Robert Golob after participating in a meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday.
The heavy rains caused extensive destruction, resulting in the collapse of at least three bridges and primarily affecting roads and energy infrastructure in Slovenia. Large sections of roads were submerged, severely disrupting transportation and access to villages.
As previously reported, the floods caused an estimated $550 million in damages (approximately 500 million euros), affecting two-thirds of Slovenia in total. This occurred after several weeks of weather chaos in Europe. Scientists warn that climate change will lead to more extreme rainfall and sudden floods in certain parts of the world, although not all such events are directly linked to global warming.