World Vision helps in snow-struck county and continues to monitor as floods threaten

ROMANIA- Buzau County, in southeast Romania, is one of two counties that has been worst hit by the heavy snowfall blanketing much of Eastern Europe. Many of the communities in this county lie very near to the mountains at a high altitude and have been inaccessible due to country roads being covered in high snow.

World Vision has not worked in this county before; however, after the organisation’s emergency team paid a visit to communities and consulted with local authorities, churches, schools and residents themselves, it decided to help two particularly vulnerable villages – Sarulesti and Sarile, both located in the north part of Buzau County, close to the alpine area.

"If the snow begins to melt we will be affected by floods. We always have been"

Sarile lies just six kilometres from Sarulesti, but the winding mountain roads are difficult to maneuver under normal conditions, much less during the worst winter weather to hit Romania in over six decades.

“For 15 days we have had nothing – no water, no wood. For the last two weeks children did not go to school”, says Dorin Ursache, the father of Madalina Elena (10 years), who received emergency aid in Sarulesti.

World Vision delivered parcels filled with food and blankets in both villages to more than 1,000 people, 390 of which were children. The school in Sarulesti partnered with World Vision to pack the food and blanket parcels for both villages.

As temperatures slowly rise across the region World Vision continues to monitor the weather and the potential of snow melt creating a second emergency in the spring – flooding; something that often happens in parts of Romania, especially Buzau County.

“If the snow begins to melt we will be affected by floods. We always have been”, says Dorin.

Vrancea county, just north of Buzau, the other county worst hit by the snow, is also prone to flooding. The problem of flooding in these two counties is not only the significant damage it will do to homes, infrastructure and crops, but also that only 3-5% of the mud and clay homes are insured and are the most vulnerable to damage by flooding. These homes are also highly susceptible to damage from snow accumulation, something insurance does not cover.

Further, World Vision teams have witnessed people burning furniture and fruit trees for heat and seen vineyards, crop lands and beehives covered in snow so much so that food yields this year may be so low that famine-like conditions could set in within the most vulnerable communities of Romania. Also, this winter's sub-zero temperatures have decreased the livestock in large numbers, which will also seriously affect the livelihoods of people and children in these communities.

World Vision will continue to monitor the situation during these winter days and throughout the spring and summer.

In total, after more than two weeks of providing emergency relief, World Vision has delivered food and blanket parcels to more than 1,000 families, including 2,333 children, in 75 communities and seven counties. 

World Vision’s emergency assistance goes hand-in-hand with community-based development work to ensure all children are cared for and protected.