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Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle: flood catastrophe in Thailand alarming
Heavy monsoon rains and tropical storms have led to severe flooding in parts of South-East Asia. Currently, 2.5 million people are affected by the flood catastrophe in Thailand alone. Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement in Berlin today (27 October):
“The extent and effects of the flooding are alarming. At this difficult time, Germany stands firmly beside the people affected by the devastating floods.
Over the past few days, we have offered our help in dealing with this emergency to Thailand and the other affected countries of the region. The first aid projects are underway.
Our embassies in these countries are making sure that this aid quickly reaches those who need it most.”
The Federal Foreign Office has so far made a total of 500,000 euro available to help deal with the flood catastrophe in Thailand and South-East Asia. In Thailand, the German Embassy is supporting, among other things, the Thai Red Cross and an evacuation centre in Bangkok. Right now, in addition to this, forty water treatment back-packs are being procured, which can be used to provide clean drinking water for 16,000 people per day. In the Philippines two aid projects are currently in the planning stage.
The Germany Embassies in Bangkok and the region are continuing to follow the situation closely, also with a view to the safety of German citizens in the region. The Federal Foreign Office’s travel and safety advice is constantly being updated to reflect the latest developments.