The state and the federal states are helping with billions in the regions affected by the flood disaster. But many private individuals also want to support affected citizens financially.
Berlin – After the flood disaster in the west of Germany in July, an exceptionally high number of donations were also collected on the Betterplace.org donation platform.
Within a few days, almost 8 million euros were donated online to aid organizations, as the platform announced. 130,000 individual donations to more than 100 projects were collected – including for well-known organizations such as the German Red Cross or “Aktion Deutschland hilft”, but also for small local associations.
“In the 13 years of our existence, we have never seen such a wave of willingness to donate,” said Björn Lampe, director of the non-profit platform based in Berlin.
Max Mälzer, managing director of the German Donation Council, confirms this impression. “The willingness of the civilian population in Germany to donate after the flood disaster is extremely high, as high as it can be. Individual organizations have received donations like never before, especially in the shortest possible time, ”he told the German Press Agency. For the numbers in July, which are not yet complete, a massive amount of donations can be expected.
“Aktion Deutschland hilft” alone received as much money within a week of the disaster as it would normally have in a year, said Mälzer. The organization has now received 185 million euros, normally around 40 million euros per year. Many organizations have never experienced such a level of solidarity.
Storms with unusually heavy rainfall triggered a flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-July. Whole areas were literally torn away or devastated by the masses of water. So far, more than 180 deaths have been counted, and several people are still missing.
As a result, there were many appeals for donations. Actions by ARD and the television station Sat.1 raised a total of more than 80 million euros. There were countless other charity campaigns for those affected by the disaster. dpa
