Swiss flood victims in Germany can apply for emergency aid
Several thousand Swiss citizens live in parts of Germany hard hit by recent floods and storms. Those who suffered concrete damage can now access a relief fund run by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) in Germany.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/ts
Français
fr
Les victimes suisses des inondations en Allemagne peuvent demander une aide d’urgence
“Currently €12,000 (CHF13,000) is available in the relief fund,” Albert Küng, president of the OSA in Germany, told SWI swissinfo.ch on Wednesday.
He explained that the money had been collected in the past and was now being made available for Swiss in Germany “in an uncomplicated way”.
Those affected should get in touch with the organisation’s vice-president Sonja Lengning by mid-August, explaining their situation. The OSA will then transfer €300 directly to the person’s account.
Küng said Swiss people in Switzerland were increasingly keen to donate specifically to other Swiss in need abroad. “This is of course a wonderful signal, and we’re now also getting active in this respect,” he said.
The organisation is collecting donations which will be offered to Swiss people in need via the relief fund (see box on how to donate).
Account information: ASO Deutschland Subject: Unwetter Juli 2021 IBAN DE31 4035 1060 0072 9039 17 BIC: WELADED1STF
Torrential rains
At the end of last year 24,300 Swiss nationals lived in the German states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, for which the consulate general in Frankfurt is responsible. In Germany as a whole the figure was 94,000, based on figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
Last week torrential rains hit Germany, initially mainly the western states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, sweeping away parts of towns and villages. Thunderstorms at the weekend also hit parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in the south.
At least 170 people have died in Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands were missing.
For immediate relief, the federal government was expected on Wednesday to announce plans to provide €200 million in emergency aid, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. That will come on top of €200 million to be provided from Germany’s 16 federal states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations.
[CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained wrong bank account information, which we had been given by the OSA in Germany. This has now been corrected.]
More
More
Water levels drop at most Swiss lakes and rivers
This content was published on
The weather is improving and water levels at most Swiss lakes and rivers are on the decline.
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Switzerland edges closer to stricter screening of foreign investments
This content was published on
Foreign investors are set to face greater scrutiny in Switzerland as one parliamentary chamber passes the so-called Lex China bill.
Increase in animal testing in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Almost 600,000 animals were used in animal experiments in Switzerland in 2023 - an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year.
Beleaguered Swiss watch industry calls for political support
This content was published on
The Swiss watch industry is going through difficult times as global demand declines and the strong franc piles on the pressure.
This content was published on
Hollywood star Pamela Anderson will be honoured at the Zurich Film Festival for her career and role in the film The Last Showgirl.
Switzerland to host Ukraine mine action conference in October
This content was published on
Together with Ukraine, Switzerland is organising the Ukraine Mine Action Conference (UMAC2024) in Lausanne on October 17 and 18.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland issues more flood warnings after heavy thunderstorms
This content was published on
Switzerland has announced more flood warnings after high winds and heavy rain battered the country between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
This content was published on
Catastrophic flooding in 1999, 2005 and 2007 led to reforms in water management in Bern. Bernard Wehren, the hydrologist in charge of regulating lake levels, told swissinfo what changes were made and what effect they have had. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.