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Cleaning up in the Ahr Valley
Photo: Thomas Frey / dpa
In an open letter to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer, communities affected by the floods from the Ahr Valley are calling for more support and a perspective.
"The federal government must appoint a special commissioner with very extensive powers for the reconstruction of the Ahr valley," it says, among other things, in the letter sent over the weekend, on which the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" first reported.
In view of the extent of the destruction, "it is clear that all the previous aid and its organization will not even begin to suffice," the letter continues.
Nevertheless, the willingness to donate is appreciated and the efforts of the federal and state governments are mentioned.
The letter comes from the Verbandsgemeinde Ahrtal.
The signatories therefore include the mayor of the Altenahr community, Cornelia Weigand, as well as Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager and the associated local mayors.
In Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, extremely heavy rain had triggered devastating floods just under three weeks ago.
Many communities, especially in the Ahr Valley, were devastated.
The German Weather Service predicted heavy rain for Tuesday, but did not issue a new storm warning.
Almost three weeks after the disaster, the number of deaths in the Ahr valley rose to 139. According to the Ahrweiler district, 106 of the victims have so far been identified. Another 26 people were still missing. That corresponded to the number reported the previous day.
The required special representative must develop a reconstruction plan and also manage its implementation. Among other things, this plan should take into account nine points. Among other things, there must be "a commitment now very quickly" as to when electricity, water and sewage disposal can be expected and from what point in time the heating can be started again. Rapid reconstruction of the transport infrastructure is also necessary. The letter also feared that citizens could emigrate. "Without an existing road and rail infrastructure, many will not stay in the Ahr Valley," it says. Because many residents of the Ahr Valley worked in Bonn, Cologne and the surrounding area.
The signatories of the letter recall that many schools and daycare centers will not be able to resume operations in the "largely destroyed buildings" even after the summer holidays, and that hospitals are "barely operational".
A "clear idea of good emergency care" must be shown quickly.
as / AFP
