Helping victims of recent floods in the Balkans

[lajoswinkler]

Perhaps you've heard about immense flooding that has occured in several countries in the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia.

Thousands are evacuated, towns and villages are literally gone under the spilled rivers. This is the worst large flood in the region in like more than 120 years. Even since the climate change has started showing its teeth, we have more and more of extremely bad weather. Record highs and lows in temperature and water level, never before encountered in the history of record keeping.

(village near Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

There are landslides, collapsing buildings, roads are torn apart and it still isn't over. Cattle and other animals are dying everywhere, some of them still tied in the barns. I myself live near the sea coast, so I'm spared of the disaster.

After the flood receedes, there will be great danger of epidemics of various infectious diseases because of the corpses and mud. Granted, the morons of antivax movement haven't made the "success" as they did in USA, but nevertheless, rate of vaccination is dangerously low, and this will cause trouble.

One of the terrible dangers are the landmines, left from the wars 20 years ago. Some of them will be shifted by the floods.

If you want to make a donation, you can use Red Cross websites:

for Bosnia and Herzegovina

for Serbia

for Croatia

If you're in one of those countries at the moment, you can donate emergency supplies to the nearest Red Cross center, but if you aren't, money is a much better option.

Thanks.

[KasperVld]

These floods are horrible and they deserve attention. At the moment there doesn't appear to be an international action by the Red Cross or equivalent organisations though. If that does launch I'll be sure to donate some money

[lajoswinkler]

Here's a bit more news about this growing situation.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/05/18/ctw-balkans-flooding.cnn.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/16/europe/gallery/balkans-flooding/index.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/19/world/europe/balkans-flooding/index.html

The flooded area is unprecedented in the history of hydrological surveys in this region of Europe. Several months of rain fell in less than three days.

I am stunned. Honestly, I didn't expect to see such disaster.

River Sava is still rising and the embankments are wet and collapsing. People are trying to build something with sand bags, but I doubt that will help. You can't stop a rising river like that.

[The Destroyer]

Huh. Wow. I know someone who will be definitley following this news.

It seems like floods are happening left and right everywhere.