After the devastating flood in the Ahr valley three months ago, there is no end in sight to the Red Cross's relief effort.
One must better prepare for future disasters, says the DRK President.
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler / Berlin - After the flood disaster in the Ahr valley around three months ago, helpers from the German Red Cross (DRK) will be on duty for a long time. "That will continue beyond the coming winter," said DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt of the German Press Agency. “We didn't set a time window because we say: as long as people need help, we'll be there. We assume that the reconstruction of the destroyed houses and infrastructure will take years. "
The Red Cross has set up replacement electricity generators in many places.
"There are still 20,000 people without a phone or internet," she said.
In addition, around 1000 building dryers were made available so that people who are in damp houses can “live reasonably healthy”.
In addition, more fan heaters should be issued for the winter.
Of the 70 drinking water distribution points, 18 are still active.
And there are still a number of operated laundromats.
In many places, wastewater still flows untreated into the Ahr.
The Red Cross is therefore also involved in the construction of sewage treatment plants.
The first system for 600 people, actually intended for foreign disasters, went into operation in Mayschoss.
The operation of this plant is planned for at least two years.
A second sewage treatment plant is planned in Altenahr and a third in Hönningen.
In the first weeks after the disaster in mid-July, according to Hasselfeldt, up to 3,500 volunteer and full-time helpers of the DRK were on duty in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Today there are still almost 50 helpers from Germany plus numerous members of the regional and regional association who provide support in the Ahr valley.
So far, 2.7 million liters of drinking water have been distributed by the DRK.
The demand has declined because the boiling requirement for tap water was lifted, as Hasselfeldt said.
The now closed catering center in Grafschaft (Ahrweiler district) produced a total of 933,000 meals by the time it closed in mid-September.
In the meantime, local caterers are supplying distribution points.
Hasselfeldt said the relief operation on the Ahr was one of the largest in the DRK after a storm in Germany.
It is important to prepare better nationwide for future disasters - also in the form of pandemics or cyber attacks.
So far, the DRK has four mobile medical practices.
"We would need at least 20 of them," said Hasselfeldt.
The existing mobile medical practices had proven their worth after the flood in the disaster area.
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In order to be able to supply people more quickly in the event of disasters, ten logistics centers would have to be set up throughout Germany as part of the civil defense reserve, the President demanded.
Camp beds, bunk beds, blankets, toiletries, water treatment systems and power generators should be kept there.
Politicians have already decided and are planning two such centers: the first in Brandenburg for 23.5 million euros, the second in North Rhine-Westphalia.
According to Hasselfeldt, there are “positive signals” from the federal government for further centers.
“I hope that this will now be implemented quickly.” A center could supply around 5000 people - in total it was a reserve for 50,000 people.
It is also important that in the future all voluntary and voluntary helpers in disaster control benefit from the same exemption regulations vis-à-vis their employers and continued payment of wages.
And it doesn't matter whether they come from the technical relief organization, the volunteer fire brigade or the Johannitern, said Hasselfeldt.
"We advocate a nationwide regulation of the federal states or for a nationwide regulation."
Finally, Hasselfeldt is committed to ensuring that around two percent of the population will be qualified as care support workers in the next few years.
“During the pandemic, we noticed that such forces are important.” They could be of help to neighbors or care services in emergencies.
A kind of curriculum is currently being worked on to qualify those interested.
Storms with unusually heavy rainfall triggered a flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-July.
Whole areas were literally torn away or devastated by the masses of water.
More than 180 deaths were counted, 134 of them in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The DRK received donations of 53 million euros, said Hasselfeldt.
dpa
