Growing need among Polish flood victims
10 August 2001

Floods and storms which have swept Poland for a month have left 50,000 people in serious distress, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today. Appealing for 2.9 million Swiss francs to help them through to the end of the year, the Federation warned of growing needs particularly in the hardest hit areas in the south of the country.

Besides serious damage to infrastructure and water and gas supplies, houses and livelihoods have been destroyed. More storms that ravaged the south at the weekend, bringing down power lines and trees, have only worsened the plight of thousands of people already victims of Vistula river floods.

Since the storms and floods began on July 9, first affecting the coastal cities of Gdansk and Slupsk, Polish Red Cross relief teams have distributed emergency supplies throughout the stricken areas, with hundreds of volunteers delivering food, water, clothing, shoes, blankets and hygiene articles.

Now with the emergency phase almost over, there are medium-term needs for household equipment, bedding, and kitchen sets, coal to dry flooded homes, and food support for children, provided in the form of school lunches. The Red Cross aims to help 20,000 people in Kielce, 12,000 in Rzeszow, 6,500 in Krakow, 4,000 in Lublin, 4,000 in Gdansk, and 3,200 in Slupsk.

Since flooding is an annual menace, the Federation will also support the Polish Red Cross to further strengthen the disaster preparedness and response capacities of its branches.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Warsaw:
Katarzyna Stepinska, Polish Red Cross Tel : (48) 607-141-243.

In Budapest :
John Sparrow, Regional Information delegate Tel : (36 20) 340 2460

In Geneva :
Marie-Françoise Borel, Information Officer Tel: (41 22) 730 4346 / (41 79) 217 3345

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.