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Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the flooding in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today (17 May) issued the following statement on the flooding in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina:
There is still no end in sight to the catastrophic floods in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More than 20 people have died. Tens of thousands have lost their homes and an equal number are without electricity and supplies. The scale of the disaster is not yet entirely clear.
Germany has offered assistance to both countries. Experts from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) have already arrived in Serbia. Further aid measures are being coordinated. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost relatives as a result of the floods.
Background information:
The record rainfall in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina over a period of several days has led to floods which by Saturday had claimed more than 20 lives. Tens of thousands of people have had to be evacuated. In many places the flood water has not yet reached its highest point. Meteorologists say this is the worst flooding in the region since records began. The German Embassies in Belgrade and Sarajevo are keeping in constant touch with the local authorities. THW experts are coordinating German assistance.
