GRAND PRIORY OF BOHEMIA WORKS TO REBUILD FLOODED AREAS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague, 15 October 2002

Following the disastrous August floods in the Czech Republic, the Malteska Pomoc Hospital Service, an organisation operating under the Order of Malta’s Grand Priory of Bohemia, is working to rebuild the areas worst affected. Their volunteers are providing medical assistance and first aid for evacuees, distribution of foodstuffs, transportation for the disabled and elderly persons and constant checking of the extent of the damage. The volunteers are working under pressure, in Prague and the areas around Melnik, Ceské Budejovice and Olomuc, to improve living conditions before winter arrives.

Fifteen people died in the floods of the Moldava, Elba and other rivers, and 220,000 were evacuated. The flood damage is estimated to have cost around 3 billion Euro.

The Malteska Pomoc Hospital Service will continue to provide medical assistance for the volunteers responsible for restoration and improving the worst hit areas and has also started a project to rebuild the buildings destroyed or damaged by flooding in the region of Melnìk, along the Elba and the Moldava. Work across the region includes:

Horin/Vrbno: 125 homes demolished, 100 requiring renovation, 100-120 new houses to be built;
Kly: 30-40 houses demolished, 100 houses requiring renovation, 46 new homes to be built;
Tuhan: 33 houses demolished. The entire village has been contaminated by the nearby chemical factory, 60 buildings requiring renovation, 30-40 new homes to be built;
Obríství: the level of flood water reached 3.5 metres, resulting in the need to demolish 23 buildings. 390 requiring renovation and 15 new homes to be built.
Zálezlice: 80 houses demolished, 100 requiring renovation, 60 new homes must be built;
Dolní Berkovice: 29 demolished, 170 houses requiring renovation, 25 new homes to be built.

The Malteska Pomoc Project will focus on renovating about 100 buildings. The immediate objective is to ensure that there is a dry room in every house, which will probably be the only livable area throughout the winter. Materials to rebuild walls and floors and systems to dry the walls in these homes will be purchased. The project will provide floors for a primary school in Horin and a center for the elderly in Obríství.
The overall estimated cost is around 75,000 Euro, with work expected to take between 9 and 12 months.

For further information or to make a donation, please contact:

Tel/fax: +420 2 83029238
E-mail: maltezskapomoc@seznam.cz

Account details:
CSOB (Ceskoslovenská Obchodní Banka), Jungmannova 15, Prague 1, 115-00, Czech Republic
Current Account in EURO: 178855938/0300