Romania will activate the European RESTORE mechanism for the first time to help rebuild areas hit by severe floods in Suceava and Neamț counties, minister of investments and European projects Dragoș Pîslaru announced. The mechanism, designed to provide rapid financial support in the aftermath of major natural disasters such as floods, fires, or storms, will allow Romania to quickly redirect EU funds toward the affected regions.
Raed Arafat, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), said Friday, August 1, that more than 680 houses in Suceava county and 170 houses in Neamţ county were impacted in the flash floods that hit northeastern Romania. Forty-one houses were completely destroyed, and three people were killed in the floods.
“This is the first time Romania will use the RESTORE instrument and will allow us to rapidly reallocate millions of euros in European funds to support the restoration of infrastructure, housing, and small businesses in the disaster-hit areas,” Pîslaru said in a post on his Facebook page.
In addition to activating RESTORE, the Romanian government also plans to access the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which could bring in hundreds of millions of euros for long-term reconstruction. However, Pîslaru cautioned that these funds will take several months to arrive due to the complex approval process.
The government is preparing an additional aid package to be approved soon, once the damage assessment is completed. In the immediate aftermath of the floods, authorities allocated up to RON 30,000 per affected family and mobilized all necessary emergency personnel and resources, including doctors, firefighters, ambulances, and helicopters.
“We will ensure that material damage is repaired and reconstruction begins immediately. Both personally and professionally, I have been by the side of the affected families from the very beginning and will continue to stand with them,” Pîslaru said.
He also expressed gratitude to the rescuers and volunteers who risked their lives to help those in danger, calling them “the true heroes of the day.”
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/Dragoș Pîslaru)
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