In addition to aid organizations and volunteers, many companies also support the reconstruction of the destroyed flood regions. A logistical effort that will take months.
When the destructive flood rushed through the Eifel, the Euskirchen plant of Procter & Gamble was temporarily turned into an emergency warehouse. Where else 1200 employees produce Pampers, a camp bed was set up for the helpers from the Technical Relief Organization, thousands of meals were cooked for the nearby emergency accommodation and hygiene products were given free of charge to those in need.
Three weeks after the disaster, the camp beds have been dismantled and crisis management has entered a new phase. “The emergency aid is now developing into reconstruction aid,” says Gabriele Hässig from Procter & Gamble. Everyday products – diapers and incontinence products, detergents and toothpaste – are no longer given out individually at the factory, but on pallets to aid organizations. The company donated 400,000 euros to the Euskirchen fire brigade, which has lost several vehicles in use, for the purchase of a new fire engine.
From drying devices to replacement cars
Other companies – in addition to the professional helpers and committed volunteers – actively help in coping with the damage. Pump manufacturer KSB, for example, made waste water pumps available to THW. The hardware store chain Obi called on customers to hand in private drying devices and pumps in exchange for a voucher for a new device in the store in order to make these flood victims available. The car manufacturers Daimler and Ford sent off-road vehicles to support the rescue teams. Opel provides people whose cars have flooded with a replacement vehicle free of charge for up to three weeks.
Other companies help with donations. The Schwarz Group, to which Lidl and Kaufland belong, donated ten million euros, screw manufacturer Würth five million. Thanks to such large donations, among other things, the “Aktion Deutschland hilft” alliance has donated 100 million euros. The foundation too stern collects donations for those affected by the flood.
Coordination by the logistics center
Donations in kind and money now have to find their way to those affected. A new logistics center of the German Red Cross in Zülpich near Euskirchen shows what mammoth task this represents. In the more than 10,000 square meter hall, the DRK has been collecting donations in kind from large companies since last week. 1500 pallets and other relief goods packed in cardboard boxes are currently stacked here, with more to follow. “The willingness of companies to donate is still high,” reports Charlotte Kemperdick from the responsible DRK Nordrhein.
The hall actually belongs to the Fiege company; the DRK has rented it in full in order to be able to store the “overwhelming amount of donations in kind safely protected from the rain,” says Kemperdick. In the next three to six months, the logistics center will serve as the central point of contact for relief supplies in the region, maybe longer. A team of DRK professionals and volunteers takes care of the incoming donations in kind and makes them available to the district associations and local aid organizations on demand.
Help needed for months
Daily necessities such as diapers and groceries still played an important role, because some flood victims still had no unhindered access to shops, says DRK project manager Kemperdick. In addition, the focus is currently on building dryers and machines for reconstruction. Household appliances such as washing machines or microwaves and also furniture are expected in the logistics center soon. Because when the worst damage in the apartments has been repaired, many of those affected have to set up anew.
This also applies to the Procter & Gamble employees in Euskirchen, who were not only helpers in the days of the flood, but in some cases were also affected themselves. To help colleagues whose houses have been damaged or cars destroyed, the group-wide workforce has already collected 140,000 euros in donations, reports company spokeswoman Hässig. The employer promises to double this amount. In addition to material help, the company also offers pastoral help, says Hässig. Some employees are still extremely stressed by the events.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
