In Poland, solidarity is at work after the passage of the Boris Depression

The Boris Depression devastated many parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Poland was particularly affected.

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Illustrations of flooding in Poland. (MICHAL FLUDRA / NURPHOTO)

In southwestern Poland, the small town of Klodzko was completely submerged when the Boris depression passed through the region on the weekend of September 14. Since then, the water has receded and for the inhabitants, it is now time to assess the damage and clean up, in a desolate setting.

Put your heart into it so as not to give in to despair. Last weekend, Barbara’s hotel was flooded up to the first floor. Today, the owner is working on clearing out the ground floor, where the kitchens and the restaurant were located. And rather than moping around, she prefers to imagine the reopening of her establishment: “I don’t see any other option, I don’t plan on giving up my business. It would be easier to sell everything and run away, but I won’t do that.”

Sandra, for her part, put on her orange jumpsuit to lend a hand. The young woman is originally from Klodzko but now lives in the Netherlands. She made the round trip loaded with food for the victims: “It breaks my heart to see the city where I was born, where I have my friends, my family, in this state. So I came to help for a day. But I have to say that the people here are really well organized, everyone shares a loaf of bread for the meal, everything is done in the Polish tradition.”

“I’m helping to clean this hotel and I don’t even know what it’s called because the facade is destroyed. But anyway, wherever help is needed, I’m here to offer mine.”

Matteusz, resident of Klodzko

to franceinfo

Here, the motivation and mutual assistance of the inhabitants contrast with the spectacle of the streets strewn with debris and piles of waterlogged rubbish. But Barbara fears that this enthusiasm will quickly run out of steam: “I can count on people’s help, but I would like to be able to count on the help of institutions, the government, the municipality, because people will end up getting tired after a while, and I think it is up to the State to ensure help in the long term.”

So far, Europe has promised an envelope of ten billion euros for the affected regions, and the Polish government has announced immediate aid of 2,300 euros for those affected who request it.


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