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Germany's Scholz visits flood-hit areas in Lower Saxony

December 31, 2023

The German chancellor urged people to "stick together" while visiting flooded areas of Verden in northern Germany. Thousands of emergency forces have been combating rising rivers amid heavy rainfall across the country.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ajqi
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks out towards the flooding Weser river while visiting the flood region on December 31, 2023 in Verden, Germany.
Scholz took part in a flyover on the affected areas in northern Lower SaxonyImage: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in the town of Verden, some 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) northwest of Hanover, as he travels to different areas in Germany devastated by floods.

"The weather and nature are challenging us," Scholz said on New Year's Eve in Verden. "That is why it is important that we stick together in the country."

He said different state institutions were working together to battle the floods, including the police, the fire department, the armed forces and volunteers.

Scholz took part in a flyover on the affected areas in northern Lower Saxony, followed by a briefing on the situation in Verden on the Aller River. 

Tense flood situation in northern Germany

Floods have devastated several regions of northern Germany throughout the past few days.

Thousands of emergency forces have been engaged in facing the aftermath of the heavy rainfall, which has particularly affected the northern states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia.

A slight drop in water levels has been reported around the Aller River, which flows in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. However, authorities fear dykes, heavily softened by the floods, could burst in several places.

Floods threaten northern Germany: DW's Kieran Burke reports

Officials urge against 'flood tourism'

German authorities have urged residents not to engage in disaster tourism, stressing that the practice was hindering the work of emergency workers.

"Growing 'flood tourism' and traffic are preventing emergency services from getting through in many places," the city of Celle, near Hanover, said. Officials called on residents to respect closures and only travel to the city if absolutely necessary.

Flooded houses on a street close to the river Aller on December 31, 2023 in Verden, Germany.
Floods over the past few days have devestated some parts of northern GermanyImage: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

rmt/sms (AFP, dpa)

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