2002 press releases

Fact Sheet on U.S. Flood Relief to the Czech Republic

Prague, September 6, 2002 

The United States, including the U.S. Government, U.S. companies doing business in the Czech Republic, American charitable and nonprofit organizations, as well as private citizens, have joined in a public-private partnership to offer speedy and effective assistance in response to the devastating floods in the Czech Republic. Through the initial phase of flood recovery, focused on humanitarian assistance and public health, U.S. assistance has included the following efforts:

During the first week of flooding, with support from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Embassy donated $50,000 to the Czech Red Cross for humanitarian relief.

Beginning August 18, a military crew dispatched by the U.S. European Command in Germany, with the assistance of the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation, brought eleven pumps with generators, a fire truck, and other humanitarian supplies to assist the residents of Kralupy nad Vltavou to pump water from houses, the hospital, and the railroad switch and signal yard.

Beginning August 19, Embassy volunteers, headed by U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton, armed with rubber boots and gloves, shovels and buckets, went to Kampa Museum to clean the debris left by the flood from the Museum's interior and grounds.

The U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is providing funding in the amount of $105,000 to permit the purchase of two ground penetrating radar devices, to assist Czech engineering specialists determine the soundness of building foundations. Also, a team of OFDA officials with professional experience in structural engineering, public health, management of toxic substances, water sanitation and crisis management visited the Czech republic beginning August 25 to offer advice in their areas of expertise. Future projects include a program for sharing lesson learnt and further improving response to region-wide crises.

On August 29, U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton notified Minister of Health Marie Souckova that a coalition of U.S. donors, including the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the pharmaceutical associations PhRMA and MAFS, and Eurotel were making a donation valued at CZK 30 million ($ 1 million) to cover part of the costs of Hepatitis A vaccine provided to the Ministry of Health by U.S. and international pharmaceutical companies doing business in the Czech Republic.

On August 29, an airlift of medications, disinfectants and other humanitarian supplies valued at $300,000 was flown to Prague by U.S. charitable organization Americares and delivered to the Ministry of Interior's Crisis Task Force.

Several U.S. companies doing business in the Czech Republic are funding donation of industrial dryers to cities hard hit by the floods. To date, dryers have been delivered to Kralupy nad Vltavou and Terezin. Addition donations will take place in the coming days, as more dryers are located.

The American Friends of the Czech Republic will shortly disburse preliminary contributions for flood relief from funds raised in the U.S. to the mayors of Pilsen, Ceske Budejovice, Cesky Krumlov, Kralupy nad Vltavou, Pisek, Terezin, Usti nad Labem, Decin and Melnik. Fund-raising efforts by the AFoCR continue.

U.S. companies doing business in the Czech Republic have made substantial contributions to flood relief, through in-kind donations of supplies and equipment, volunteer efforts by their employees, establishment of funds by employees or customers with matching company funds, and contributions from U.S. headquarters, totaling hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars.

Although the first phase of flood relief has passed, the need for assistance with reconstruction, rebuilding, insurance coverage and bank loans continues, and U.S. efforts to provide additional support in response to these needs also continue.