The European Commission has announced EUR 150,000 in fresh humanitarian aid to help people affected by the recent deadly floods in Macedonia. The assistance follows EU support mobilised via the Civil Protection Mechanism for Macedonia earlier this week. “We have increased our assistance to also cover basic humanitarian needs such as the provision of food and water to the affected communities," EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, has said in a statement posted on the website of the Commission. At least 3,500 homes in several districts of the capital Skopje were flooded by torrential rain on August 6. Twenty-two people lost their lives in the disaster. On Monday, Macedonia activated the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism which facilitates the cooperation in disaster response among 34 European state (EU-28 plus non-EU Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland, and Norway). In response, the EU has sent a team of experts to assess the damage inflicted on the water and sewage systems in particular and make recommendations. Six states participating in the Civil Protection Mechanism (Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia) have also responded with emergency relief items coordinated through the Mechanism, according to the statement.
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