Christian aid provides relief in central Europe flooding

Storm Boris has killed at least 23 and has left several others displaced. Despite widespread damage, churches and fellow Christians have lent a helping hand in one of the most extensive floods recorded in decades.

Entire villages and towns in Poland, Hungary, and Czechia have been buried in several meters of dirty water. The damage caused by heavy rain has also extended to Romania and Italy. In St Polten, Austria, more rain had fallen in four days, shattering their autumn record in 1950, as reported by BBC  The waters have shown signs of receding in Poland and Czechia, but the high levels have severely damaged buildings and surrounding infrastructure.

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Disaster relief in Czechia and Hungary

Meinolf Mellwig, a missionary from Germany who worked in Czechia, currently oversees staff from the Brethren congregation, Křesťanský sbor in Ostrava Poruba. He said that the situation has improved, but much work has yet to be done.

The water swelled for at least 24 hours and caused flooding in the Brethren church founded in 1999. At its worst point, the outside of the church saw at least 2,5 metres of water, and the basement was completely flooded. The 1st floor, where the main meeting room was located, contained at least 50 cm of water.

Mellwig said the basement was previously used for the children’s Sunday school lessons. He hopes the church’s insurance policy will cover the damages, but he remains unsure if everything will be compensated. “The point is not just the financial matter. It’s just a lot of other work,” he said.

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The highest totals have been recorded in the north-eastern Czechia town of Jesenik, which saw at least 473 mm of rain, or five times its average monthly rainfall. According to the BBC report, the Czech fire service has advised nearby residents not to drink the water from taps or wells, as the water is likely contaminated.

Mellwig has been in contact with other Brethren churches in Germany, and he said that many are willing to lend a hand if needed. In dealing with the aftermath, the church currently needs drying machines to draw out residual moisture in the walls and floors. Unfortunately, the church has not been successful at finding one since they are in high demand. Electrical power in the area has yet to be restored, and many are seeing the need to use generators.

The BBC also reported that the Danube River in Hungary has swelled to nearby towns, in addition to Czechia.

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Márton Juhász, who is the Head of the Disaster Response Team of the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid (HRCA), said that they have contacted churches near the Danube to offer assistance on behalf of the HRCA. In the past, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid has worked with disaster relief efforts in Syria, Bangladesh, and, in the last year, Turkey and Morocco following the respective earthquakes.

At the moment, they are providing relief for five villages. One of the villages is located 25 km from Budapest, where the flooding shows no signs of improvement. Sandbags, laid down by HRCA have been critical in providing support and preventing further damage. “We are preparing sandbags for the villages and using them to create dams. Most likely, this will be enough for the village to be saved from the flood,” he said in reference to making sandbags.

HRCA also provided water pumps, generators, and floodlights to support disaster response in several villages and collected money for safety equipment such as waterproof boots and gloves. For those needing to be relocated, HRCA offered accommodation and food.

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Cleaning up

As the waters slowly recede in most areas, cleanup efforts are being prioritised. Juhasz said that he wants to raise 30,000 Euros to support the ongoing work. This includes fuel, waterproof boots, cleaning materials, gloves, food, accommodation for volunteers, and restoration and renovation efforts across the affected communities.

Most of all, additional helping hands and Christian love are needed in these Central European communities.

Also, the Hungarian bishop József Steinbach aired a special video message for those hit by the high waters.

For Mellwig’s church in Czechia, this year’s flood has not been the first. In 1997, the area experienced extensive flooding that damaged many homes.

Buying and renting out drying machines to residents became an unexpected opportunity to share the love of Christ. When it comes to helping out, Mellwig said Christians should and want to help in these great times of need. “It’s a big testimony to the big community,” he said.