Print version Email to a friend

ACT Alliance Alert: Cold Snap and Severe Snowfall in Romania

14 Feb 2012 13:28

Source: member // ACT Alliance - Switzerland

Alert  

Romania

Cold Snap and Severe Snowfall in Romania

Geneva, 14 February 2012

1.       Brief description of the emergency 

The arctic conditions have already claimed hundreds of lives around Europe. Conditions in Romania remain tough, and the Central and Eastern Europe region’s plight continues to make international headlines as the worst affected by Europe’s deep freeze. The bad weather hit Romania almost two weeks ago, when it started snowing heavily and temperatures dropped to record lows. Tens of thousands of people have been trapped for more than a week in the Southern and South-Eastern counties because of the excessive amount of snowfall. The cold snap which began in late January has killed so far 68 people who died from hypothermia after nights when temperatures dropped consecutively to -25 degrees Celsius.

2.       Impact

More than 20,000 homes from 250 villages were affected by the weather, cut off by the blizzards. The electricity supply was down in around 175 villages. Authorities proclaimed a state of emergency after the heaviest snow in 65 years, which sealed off towns and villages, left them without electricity, shut down roads and railways and closed boat traffic on the frozen Danube river, one of Europe's most important waterways, which has been unable to move for the longest time in the recent memory. A total of 48 national roads and highways are currently closed and 16 roads have traffic restrictions. Moreover, 184 trains are canceled, and three ports are closed: Midia, Mangalia and Constanta. Meanwhile, authorities are also warning of flooding, when the snow thaws and breaches dams.

3.       National and international response

Local authorities in the Romanian counties of Buzau and Vrancea, which have been the most severely hit by the snow and blizzard, have asked the central authorities in the country to declare the state of high emergency in these two counties. People have been trapped inside their houses in tens of villages in these counties. Bulldozers were clearing off paths in villages, leaving walls of snow meters high. Authorities have slowly started to reach some villages and media has brought to attention desperate cases of people who live in unheated homes, have no water, no access to food, medicine, electricity. There were also serious problems in communicating with people in many of the areas in distress. People face great difficulties in seven other counties, and media reports suggest 90,000 people are snow-bound across these regions on South and South – East Romania. Around 2,700 schools nationwide are expected to be closed down.

Detachments of the Ministry of National Defense were deployed on emergency support missions in the areas affected by snow and blizzard - 1,580 troops with 88 land, water and air craft participated in search and rescue actions that are due to continue during the coming days. The Ministry of National Defense is monitoring the situation in the country through the specialized structure of the General Staff, and has 4,000 troops and 1,000 technical means ready for emergency action in support of local and central public authorities, so as to contain the effects of snow and blizzards. Centres for collecting non-perishable food have been opened in several cities in Romania, where citizens can make donations to help people in distress living in the places that have been isolated by snowfalls. Lorries of the Joint Logistic Command carry this aid to the places affected by the heavy snowfalls and blizzard. 

4.       Planned activities

Access to the hardly affected regions is very difficult at the moment, but is expected that as soon as this will be possible, a nationally coordinated major action of crisis phase assistance is following to be implemented in a vast area. ACT Alliance member AIDRom, with its  Emergency Aid Unit is on stand-by with a team of 4 to reach affected areas as soon as will be permitted by the National Emergency Authorities, in order to carry out an urgent need assessment for a crisis phase assistance through the ACT Alliance Rapid Response Mechanism, in order to alleviate the human suffering of the victims and mitigate the effects of the extreme weather on the small rural communities through distribution of food parcels, water and hygiene articles.