ReliefWeb

Following severe flooding in recent days produced in 39 villages in Galaţi County, the Romanian organizations ADRA Romania, CARITAS Romania, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Maltese Relief Service in Romania and World Vision Romania, members of the Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance (WGHA) within the Romanian NGDO Platform – FOND, express their solidarity with the people in the affected areas, by emergency and post-floods interventions. Overall, nine people died and nearly 1,800 houses were damaged in Galaţi, according to the latest interim report submitted to the County Committee for Emergency Situations, covered by Mediafax, the Romanian press agency.

Currently NGOs continue to assess the situation and according to the needs noticed in Galaţi County, intend to develop interventions to:

• Give food support, hygiene items, blankets for the flood victims
• Distribute information about cleaning and disinfecting the homes affected by flood
• Give support for the winter (support for food, animal feed, heating materials based on identified needs)
• Agriculture rehabilitation
• Reduce disaster risk
• Homes and schools rehabilitation and reconstruction
• Give educational support (school supplies, textbooks, books for restoring the destroyed libraries)
• Psychological support for helping children coming from the families affected by floods

This is not the first time when the FOND organizations are involved in helping people affected by disasters, showing solidarity both in Romania and internationally. Following the earthquake in Haiti (2010), Japan (2011) and the floods (2010) and snowfall (2012) in Romania, the WGHA member organizations have provided material support and counselling to those affected. Natural disasters such as floods affecting populations worldwide can be tackled only through joint efforts and support.

FOND, the Romanian NGDO Platform gathers 35 organizations interested to work in development cooperation and is an active member in CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development).

The Humanitarian Assistance Working Group has been established in June 2012. The purpose of this group is to facilitate coordination, at national and international level, to Romanian organizations that act in emergency situations both in Romania and in the priority countries for international development cooperation, such as the Republic of Moldova, Georgia or other countries affected by humanitarian crisis (armed conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters etc). The group aims at contributing to a better coordination among the organizations active in this field at a national, as well as international level, and wishes to represent a pool of expertise which can initiate fundraising campaigns for humanitarian actions and develop common projects in this domain.

For further information please check the attached press release or contact us at oana.perju@fondromania.org/ 0040 722 66 81 80.