June 27, 2007
At least thirty of the 42 counties in Romania have been put on a state of emergency by the Romanian government following weeks of severe drought. Twenty four people have died as the temperatures have soared to a scorching 45 degrees Celsius.Some 1.7 million hectares of cereal crops have been destroyed throughout the country, according to Mediafax, a Romanian News Agency, making this the third consecutive year that Romania has faced a severe natural disaster. 'We need to think about the long-term effects of the drought for the coming winter. Our first focus is on children – ensure water supplies and hydration during the hot season and on people's households to protect them and support them keeping their animals. Together with communities in all WVR ADPs we shall continue working on disaster preparedness plans which we started to work on since the beginning of the year', said Mr. Eugen Borlea – WVR Relief Manager.