In September 2024, Cyclone Boris hit Galati County with devastating force, causing massive floods that left behind a real disaster. Raging waters destroyed homes, roads, and land, leaving hundreds of people homeless. For many of them, their lives changed radically in an instant, losing everything they had built up over the years. According to the British daily newspaper The Guardian, the storm particularly affected Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Alpine regions of southern Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

Out of the thousands affected, Ioana* and Viorica* are among the several victims impacted by the storm. According to Ioana, upon returning from a night shift, she was met with the sight of her home completely flooded. She stated, "I stayed under a bridge for a few hours because I couldn't cross. When I got home, the fences were down, and water was everywhere in the house. No room was left untouched. It took everything from me: furniture, refrigerators, clothes, everything I had." The impact left Ioana without the goods she depended on daily.

Viorica also shared her experience of being caught, together with her husband, by water in her own house: "The rain with lightning and thunder scared me terribly, and the water penetrated the whole house. The attic of the house was the only place we could shelter, but we had no ladder or other means of climbing. In desperation, we improvised a 'ladder' from a wall in the bedroom, and with the help of my husband, we managed to save ourselves. We stayed there all night and, in the morning, we found the yard under two meters of water, with the animals and birds dead. It is very difficult for us, but with God's will and with the help of ADRA and those around us, we hope to overcome".

In the midst of this chaos, ADRA Romania has mobilized aid to those affected, offering humanitarian aid and morale support. Despite severe damage, solidarity and community involvement is empowering the community to look toward a better future.

"Going to the field on many occasions and talking to people affected by the floods, I realized that, for many of them, the deep pain comes not only from the material loss, but also from the feeling of helplessness that weighs on them, especially since they have already faced such problems, but with a smaller magnitude,” said Alina Bordas-Mohorea, ADRA Romania psychologist.

“It's overwhelming to see your home and your life's work destroyed over and over again, and you do not know how to rebuild your life. During the ADRA interventions, we tried to offer them both material support and psychological first aid, listening to their stories and encouraging them to express their emotions, validating their suffering,” continued Bordas-Mohorea. 

“At the same time, we were amazed and deeply impressed by the kindness of the people – volunteers, donors, and supporters – who jumped in to help either through physical labor, products, or financial donations. This is a lesson in empathy and altruism that inspires us and that we need further as we enter the phase of supporting housing recovery. Their solidarity and generosity show us that, although the suffering is great, there is also a light given by the community that unites in the face of trouble," concluded Bordas-Mohorea. 

Through the "Hope above the waters" project, ADRA Romania aims to improve housing space, in partnership with local town halls, for hard-pressed families. The project supports flood victims by building or rebuilding affected houses.

About ADRA Romania

Since 1990, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Romania - ADRA Romania - has been particularly involved in development projects that benefit the entire population. Conducting itself in the projects undertaken according to the motto "Justice. Compassion. Love.", ADRA Romania brings joy and hope to the lives of the beneficiaries by promoting a better future, values, ​​and human dignity. 

As an accredited social service provider, ADRA Romania is part of the ADRA International network, the global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, one of the most widespread non-governmental organizations in the world. ADRA International is active in 118 countries and based on a philosophy that combines compassion with a practical spirit. It reaches out to people in need without racial, ethnic, political, or religious distinctions, with the aim of serving humanity so that all may live together as God intended.

*Pseudonyms used for security reasons
The original article was published on the Inter-European Division website.