BRATISLAVA (SITA) - Non-governmental organizations rushed to help the flood-ravaged regions of eastern Slovakia after the flashfloods two weeks ago. As Marcel Zajac, member of the Third Sector Gremium, recapitulated at a press conference on Monday, G3S sheltered organizations sent volunteers to the affected regions in the first days after the floods, in cooperation with local village mayors, to participate in cleaning up and distributing humanitarian aid.
The G3S also established camps for evacuated children. The most active organizations were Open People from Kosice, Pcola from Stara Lubovna, the Open Society Fund based in Presov, the Greek-Catholic Diocese Charity from Presov, and the Diocese Charity from Banska Bystrica. The Banska Bystrica-based foundation Ekopolis donated 100,000 SKK to contribute to the clean up of the environmental impacts of the catastrophe. Aid is also coming from the Czech Republic, particularly from places where Slovakia was helping during last year‘s floods there. G3S member Helena Wolekova stated that state help did not fail from the material point of view, but from the psychological. She heavily criticized those responsible for the absence of psychologists and other experts. The state has not announced yet what financial help the affected people can get from the state. Fund raisers last year collected more money, according to Wolekova. She explained that the citizens are worried their money can be misappropriated and that the affected Romanies will not use the funds effectively. The Foundation Harmony has reported 2 million SKK in collected money while last year they collected 30 million SKK. In 1997 Harmony paid for 25 percent of the flood-caused damage and reimbursed 5,999 people in more than 200 villages. This year too, money from donors will go directly to individuals on basis of decisions of local authorities.
