In the areas affected by the flood disaster, THW volunteers are providing help. Conspiracy believers make their use difficult.
Berlin – After the devastating flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, the clean-up work in the affected areas is in full swing. Volunteers from the technical relief organization are also involved. On the spot, however, they not only come into contact with grateful victims, but also with anger and rejection.
During the work on site, helpers were sometimes insulted, said THW Vice President Sabine Lackner in a morning broadcast on RTL / ntv on Saturday (July 24th, 2021). “When they are out and about in emergency vehicles, they are thrown with garbage,” added Lackner. People also filmed the THW workers at work – without being identified as representatives of the press.
After the flood disaster: THW volunteers are insulted and pelted with garbage
Lackner is certain: Behind the attacks are mainly people from the lateral thinker and prepper scene who pretend to be victims of the flood disaster, as well as some frustrated flood victims. Preppers would pretend to be affected and consciously create a mood, reported Lackner.
No operations have yet been canceled because of such incidents. The situation is psychologically stressful for the volunteer helpers. Lackner said she was grateful to her emergency services that they carried on “quite fearlessly”. To be on the safe side, THW employees removed some of their name tags.
“Mentally stressful”: THW forces confronted with the mood of lateral thinkers
The work of the technical relief organization could continue for a few more weeks. According to Lackner, around 30,000 people in the flood areas are currently lacking drinking water or electricity, in some cases both. Around 4,000 THW workers are on site.
There have already been several controversial actions in the flood areas from among the ranks of the lateral thinking scene. A helper from the area reported to the Frankfurter Rundschau that individual, sometimes prominent representatives of the scene would shoot videos and share them with their followers. They also protested against a mobile vaccination center in Ahrweiler – built to prevent a superspreader event – in some cases in an overly aggressive manner.
People from the prepper, lateral thinking and neo-Nazi scene exploit the flood disaster
Other conspiracy believers and neo-Nazis also belong to the group of interferers. They set up a kind of base in a primary school in Ahrweiler. The police are aware of the situation. So far, however, there is no legal basis for proceeding against the persons concerned.
At the weekend, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected again in the affected areas. According to the forecasts, the amount of rain should not be as great this time as it was in the flood disaster last week. (mp / dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Alexander Mann / dpa
