In the Orenburg, Kurgan, Omsk, Samara regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Altai Krai of Russia and Kazakhstan, dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church are helping flood victims. Priests, volunteers, sisters of mercy help with accommodation of the victims, participate in evacuation, visit temporary accommodation centers (TACs) where residents of flooded settlements are located, collect and hand over aid to those in need, Patriarchy.ru reports.
In the Orenburg diocese, flood victims are being received daily at the diocesan relief center "Cradle." The center works on weekdays from 10.00 to 22.00, on weekends - from 11.00 to 22.00. Those in need are given food, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, blankets, pillows, bedding and other necessities. On April 9-11, 103 families with children received assistance.
Metropolitan Peter of Orenburg and Saraktash visited Orsk on April 9-10. The bishop delivered humanitarian aid for flood victims, collected by the social department of the Orenburg diocese. The aid included personal hygiene products, baby diapers, food, baby porridge, formula, clothing for children and adults, bedding sets, mattresses, blankets, pillows, and drinking water, basic necessities. The aid was delivered to the Iversky Convent and distributed to those in need.
On April 10, Vladyka Peter celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Trinity Church of the Iversky Nunnery in Orsk. After the service, the bishop visited the Old Town, where the water caused particular damage to the residents of Orsk. By motorboat, Metropolitan Peter, together with Archpriest Sergius Baranov and Priest Vadim Tatus visited the Church of the Transfiguration, located on the mountain. This temple was surrounded on all sides by water, but became a refuge for the affected people. Hundreds of people took shelter in the temple from the first hours after the flood, and there are still dozens of people who come there for help. A field kitchen has been set up here, people are given drinking water and provided with everything they need. The building of the secondary school, which is located on the territory of the parish, accommodates people whose homes are still flooded and who have nowhere to go. Since the flooding began, the Transfiguration Church in Orsk has helped 250 victims.
During Vladyka Peter's trip by motorboat to the Transfiguration Church, the clergy accompanying him, with the help of a team from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, also visited the Church of the Intercession, which was flooded by 1.5 meters of water, and were able to retrieve several valuable icons and antique items from the water. books.
Also parishioners of the Dimitriyevsky Church, the Church of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, the Church of Blessed Prince Roman of Ryazan of Orenburg and the volunteer movement "We Will Help" delivered humanitarian aid to Orsk to the flood-affected teachers of secondary schools, the perinatal center, the animal shelter and targeted parcels to a large family.
In the Iversky Nunnery in Orsk, 16,410 liters of drinking water from a well and 2168 loaves of bread baked in the convent were distributed over five days. All this was distributed at three sites in the city: at the Iversky Monastery, the Cathedral of the Great Martyr George the Victorious and the Church of the Great Martyr Panteleimon. Today, 22 people affected by the floods live in the Iversky Nunnery.
The Humanitarian Center of the Orsk diocese distributed a ton of food, 500 kg of clothes, as well as new underwear and socks for 40,000 rubles in temporary accommodation points. The diocese has started collecting humanitarian kits for targeted aid.
The Kazan diocese purchased one million rubles worth of humanitarian aid for the Orsk diocese: dehumidifiers, a motor pump, a generator and other necessary equipment, cots, and pillows. Over the weekend, the diocese, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan, will hold a plate collection for the victims in Orsk.
В Buzuluk diocese flood victims come to the church humanitarian center for help. They take bedding, dishes, clothes.
The Kurgan diocese also continues to help flood victims. The head of the social department of the diocese Archpriest Vladimir Alekseev and sisters of mercy visit TACs, where residents from villages and suburban areas of Kurgan, subject to possible flooding, are evacuated. Food, diapers for children and adults (as there are bedridden people in the TACs), hygiene products, and clothes are delivered to the TACs according to address requests. Targeted assistance is also provided to residents who have self-settled in rented housing. A humanitarian aid center continues to work in the Port-Arthur church in Kurgan. Both residents and rescuers come here for help - they are given tea and cookies at their request. Aid has also been transferred to the neighboring Shadrinsk diocese, where there are also flood victims - children's and adult diapers and hygiene products have been given there.
In the Shadrinsk diocese clergymen in the flood zone are assisting the authorities and the Ministry of Emergency Situations in evacuating the population. They hold conversations with those who do not want to leave the flood zone, and if necessary, help with the evacuation itself. With the blessing of Bishop Vladimir of Shadrinsk and Dalmatovo The diocesan department for church charity and social ministry has formed a stock of humanitarian aid. Targeted assistance is provided to the victims.
In Isilkul diocese two villages - more than 1300 people suffered from the flood. The water is already receding and people have started to return to their homes. Metropolitan Dionisy of Omsk and Tavricheskiy announced a collection of money in churches over the weekend. The money collected will be used to help the victims - people need bedding, mattresses, boots and other necessities.
In the Ufa diocese in churches is also collecting donations for the victims.
Four houses flooded in the suburbs of Barnaul. Archpriest Mikhail Ben, head of the social department of the Barnaul diocese, met with the city administration and offered help to the victims.
In Kinelsk diocese during the week provided assistance to the affected residents of the flooded village of Bolshaya Glushitsa. The diocese gave food packages and things to several families and 50 food packages were given to the TAC. In the village of Pestravka also provided assistance to several families. Now the floodwaters are coming down.
In Northern and Western Kazakhstan, near rivers and reservoirs, the situation is quite serious. Volunteers are needed in these areas. Aktobe, Ural, and Aktobe regions suffered from flooding, Kostanai, Petropavlovsk dioceses. In Almaty and Astana, several organizations organized aid collection, including the Astana Diocese.
The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry has opened a fundraiser for people in Orsk and all communities affected by the flooding on the church's "Let's Help" platform. The collected donations will be used primarily for the purchase of equipment for pumping out water and drying out dwellings, hygiene products, bed linens, mattresses, pillows, clothes, and for the targeted needs of the victims.
For help in flood-affected communities, call the Synod's charity hotline at 8-800-70-70-222.
As of April 12, 177 settlements in 205 municipal districts remain flooded in Russia, according to official authorities. The flood zone included 12,176 residential houses and 19,619 household plots.
