In recent days, several cities in Germany and Belgium have been hit by devastating floods. More than 180 people have been confirmed dead, including 27 in Belgium. Numbers continue to rise, while dozens remain missing.
The Community of Sant'Egidio has expressed its sorrow and its closeness in prayer to the families of the victims and has joined the spontaneous chain of solidarity in front of this humanitarian catastrophe.
The Youth for Peace from Liège went to Verviers, one of the affected areas. As they entered the city centre, the scene they found was shocking. Car wrecks, furniture, refrigerators and armchairs piled up in the streets, torn trees covered the pavements. Slush covers the streets and you have to zigzag between piles of rubbish, wrecked cars and emergency vehicles.
The Youth for Peace set to work in Saint-Remacle, a deprived neighbourhood near the city centre. The Carrefour Saint-Remacle, the parish's social centre, was flooded. Throughout the day, the young people emptied the rooms and cleaned up the layer of mud left by the water, making the premises accessible again, so that they can be used for solidarity activities for the people affected by the flooding. This gesture was greatly appreciated by the dean of Verviers and his community, who felt the warmth of friendship and thanked the young people of Sant'Egidio for their solidarity, which will allow the centre to resume its activities in support of the local population as soon as possible.
