EU fund for Poland may not cover all flood losses: Finance Minister

Warsaw, Sep 21 (IANS) The 5 billion euro ($5.6 billion) fund pledged by the European Union (EU) for Poland may not cover all the losses caused by recent heavy flooding, Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski has said.

"We know that the losses are very large, although we do not know the exact number yet, so I think that the amount of 5 billion euros for Poland is an adequate amount, but it does not mean that it is sufficient to cover all the losses," Domanski said on Friday in an interview with private broadcaster TVN.

Nevertheless, Domanski stressed that the EU fund will give Poland's state budget "a lot of breathing space".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday evening that flood-hit countries will have access to a 10 billion euro fund from the EU. The announcement came at a meeting attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Czech and Slovakian Prime Ministers, and the Austrian Chancellor, Xinhua news agency reported.

Tusk later told private broadcaster Polsat News that Poland would receive 5 billion euros out of the total 10 billion.

Poland has been experiencing severe flooding, particularly in its southwestern regions, with the worst-hit areas being Opole and Lower Silesia. The floods have caused infrastructure damage, evacuations, and at least seven deaths in Poland. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria have also been affected by the floods to varying degrees.

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