Serghei Diaconu
According to the director of the National Crisis Management Center, Serghei Diaconu, the final damage assessment has not yet been completed, as the water has not fully drained from many farms and cellars. Local emergency commissions are to hold follow-up meetings in all four affected districts to send final estimates to the central authorities.
“We will have to see how much of this burden will fall on local budgets, because we should not forget: every year local budgets set aside some funds to cover emergencies. Accordingly, part of the money will be used from local budgets, and what could not be envisaged and included will be the subject of requesting support from the government,” Diaconu said.
At the same time, he said that the government will prioritize the elimination of damages to the infrastructure of national importance, including roads and bridges. Work has already started on the R1 highway to clean and reinforce the affected areas.
The executive has announced that it will provide special support to children orphaned by tragedies caused by the bad weather.
The extent of the damage
So far, authorities estimate that the floods have affected about 400 hectares of farmland and about 55 kilometers of roads. Sixty-nine farms have been flooded, but officials say measures to reinforce dykes have prevented more than 400 homes from being submerged.
As a reminder, heavy rains on May 22 and 23 resulted in two human casualties, as well as flooding, power outages, destruction of infrastructure and homes.
President Maia Sandu called on the government and relevant ministries to promptly assess the scale of damage and provide immediate assistance to the settlements affected by the heavy rains. Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu went to the affected areas and said that the government will analyze the damage and will take measures to support the affected settlements “so that people return to normal life as soon as possible”.
