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Emergency aid for northern France after storms Eunice and Franklin

The Local France
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Emergency aid for northern France after storms Eunice and Franklin
Photo: Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP

France is to unlock a special emergency relief fund to help victims of storms Eunice and Franklin, which battered northern areas of the country in recent days.

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Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced: “At the request of the President and in order to express national solidarity with the victims of storms Eunice and Franklin, we are committing funds from the fonds de secours d'extrême urgence to the areas affected, on a one-off basis."

This fund is "intended for individuals and families placed in a situation of great difficulty", the release specified, and "will allow people in need following the passage of storms to obtain basic necessities, in addition to the assistance provided by local authorities".

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The départements of Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Seine-Maritime and Manche were in the path of both devastating storms, which passed within 48 hours of each other.

Storm Eunice seriously injured at least six people, crippled transport and caused damage to numerous buildings, including schools, while a couple in their seventies were washed away by waves when Storm Franklin lashed the north of the country.

A state of catastrophe naturelle has already been declared, as is required in order to unlock the emergency relief fund, and further aid may be mobilised "depending on the nature of the damage observed and the phenomena that caused them", Darminin added.

The formal designation of catastrophe naturelle also means that people affected can benefit from an accelerated process when making insurance claims.

READ ALSO What does it mean when France declares a catastrophe naturelle?

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Anonymous 2022/02/24 06:45
Europe has been hit hard by the storm.
Anonymous 2022/02/24 00:52
The storms have hit Europe badly.
Anonymous 2022/02/24 00:48
The storms have caused a lot damage across Europe.

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