Switzerland/ Blatten: Obwalden canton donates CHF 50,000 in solidarity

Following in the footsteps of Lausanne and the municipality of Köniz (BE), the canton of Obwalden has just approved exceptional aid of CHF 50,000 for the stricken municipality of Blatten. This sum will be used to support the local population.

The canton of Obwalden has released 50,000 Swiss francs to help Blatten, which has been engulfed by a landslide. The money from the lottery fund is a sign of solidarity, the cantonal government said in a press release on Wednesday.

The amount will be paid directly to the municipality to support the affected population, it added. "Obwalden knows from experience what severe weather can mean, and how important it is to have the support of other cantons in such cases," says Public Works Director Josef Hess.

Several communes and cantons have already announced their financial support in recent days. Lausanne, for example, has donated CHF 100,000 to the Swiss Solidarity account, while the Bernese municipality of Köniz, which has been twinned with Blatten for 60 years, has announced a donation of CHF 200,000.

Valais, which is directly affected, has released 10 million francs in emergency aid for the inhabitants. The Federal Council wants to contribute 5 million francs. The Council of States has already approved this amount. The National Assembly is due to vote on the matter on Thursday.

Vaud solidarity

On Tuesday, the Grand Council of Vaud officially expressed its deepest solidarity with the victims of the disaster in Blatten and the Lötschental valley, and their families. In a resolution, the deputies invited the Conseil d'Etat to examine the possibility of contributing to an aid fund for the people and communities affected.

The cross-party text, put forward by Socialist MP Julien Eggenberger, was broadly accepted by the plenary (89 yes, three no and 23 abstentions). It also invites the government to propose, in conjunction with the Valais authorities, any form of technical, human or material assistance that the canton of Vaud could provide.

"Losing your home, your place to live, your hearth, from one day to the next, in such dramatic circumstances, leaves no one indifferent. Parliament sends its full support to the inhabitants affected, to the local authorities, and to all those involved in rescue and reconstruction operations," notes the resolution. "This disaster illustrates the need to continue our action in the face of environmental challenges", it concludes.

Source: www.lenouvelliste.ch/