Romania: As Deep Freeze Covered the Country, ADRA Provided Relief to Stranded Families
SILVER SPRING, Md. – In Romania, below freezing temperatures paired with heavy snowfalls have jeopardized the lives of thousands of stranded travellers as well as the country’s homeless population. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA ) Romania office intervened through providing urgently needed food packs in some of the worst affected areas.
“Given the emergency situation in the areas of Buzau, Vrancea and Braila, we [ADRA Romania] immediately began a food distribution and handed out more than 400 packs of food on the first day of our response. In addition to these packages, we provided firewood to households,” said ADRA Romania Country Director, Sorin Goleanu.
Several towns remained isolated for extended periods of time, and news reports stated a numbers of families were stuck in their homes, many of whom lost heat as a result of trees, weighed down by heavy snow and strong winds, collapsing onto electrical lines. Several roadways became inaccessible due to icy patches and snowdrifts, making travel near impossible. Residents trapped in their homes, with little to no food or firewood, questioned if they were going to survive.
“We were really impressed when one beneficiary from Glodesti – Silistea expressed to us, ‘I expected death to come soon because I am old. Then you [ADRA Romania] came to me over these snow drifts,'” Goleanu shared.
Individuals and companies have donated money and food to ADRA Romania to support the Agency in their relief efforts. “From Bucharest we left laden with food donated by those who learned about our project. Additionally, one company generously donated 2,000 loaves of bread for us to distribute to those affected,” Goleanu said.
ADRA Romania has rounded up 300 volunteers to shovel away snow for people living with an illness or who live alone, and has so far helped more than 60 families across 25 villages.
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