Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her horror at the “surreal” devastation in the flood-ravaged western German area on Sunday, as the death toll in Germany and Belgium surpassed 190, with dozens more still missing.
The senior leader stated that the globe must increase efforts to address the climate catastrophe, as global warming increases the likelihood of extreme weather events.
“We have to move quickly,” she remarked. “In the fight against climate change, we need to move faster.”
Merkel travelled through the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany, wearing hiking boots and providing pandemic-safe fist bumps to rescue personnel.
She listened to neighbours’ descriptions of how the swelling Ahr river swept away houses and piled debris high in the streets.
Merkel, who is stepping down from politics after the September elections, called the destruction “surreal” and promised immediate assistance to reconstruct.
“It’s stunning — I almost feel like the German language lacks words for the devastation that’s been wrought,” she remarked.
According to officials, at least 160 people have died in Germany’s worst flooding in living memory since Wednesday.
Merkel was joined by Malu Dreyer, the premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, which has suffered 112 deaths.
The chancellor supported Dreyer, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, as they traversed damaged roads together.
In Belgium’s neighbouring country, at least 31 people have died. In recent days, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Austria have all been hit by heavy rain.
