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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

WEEKLY ROUNDUP 

17 November, 1998 - 00:00


"I, Yuri Andriyovych Dupka, a Hungarian, have lived seventy years.
My ten-by-ten meter house was everything I had. Of course, there were many
such brick and adobe buildings in our village of Bobove in Vynogradiv district,
now there are fewer. 93 buildings other than mine woulnd up under water
and cannot be rebuilt. You can't live there. Now the main thing for us
is getting through the winter. Between the hamlet of Bylok and Bobove are
eighty meters of dike. If the Hungarians don't fix it, all winter the water
will flow to us.

"We will try to rebuild our house. Our daughter Katia has lived in Budapest
for twenty years, and others from here who are there will help. Somebody
heard on Ukrainian radio that Kuchma also promised help. When Berehove
was flooded last summer, Kuchma also promised help. Many people believed
him, but nothing came. Many want to move to Hungary, but not me. I want
to grow tobacco on my own land. That's what I do..."

Last week 109 populated points were flooded in Transcarpathia. 795 buildings
were destroyed. 24,340 persons were temporarily relocated. 102 populated
points were without electricity. 174.3 kilometers of dams and 20 bridges
were washed out. 38.8 meters of road were damaged. Among the most affected
areas were Mukacheve, Khust, and Tiachiv. As of November 16, there were
14 dead and 8611 Transcarpathian residents evacuated from flooded areas.
17 settled points remain underwater along with 1861 residential buildings.
1654 dwellings have been destroyed and 794 remain in damaged condition.
Two settlements remain without electricity.

Last week the situation in Transcarpathia was stabilized and brought
under control. The main thing was that there was no panic. Military and
civilian workers reinforced the dams containing the Tisza River. Food,
clothing, disinfectants, fuel, and financial assistance came from almost
all of Ukraine's oblasts.

Hungary's Reformed and Catholic Churches also sent help. The Hungarian
Armed Forces continually sent bread, sugar, canned meat and vegetables,
clothing, and footwear to the village of Salivka on the Tisza.

Throughout Ukraine district administrations opened points where humanitarian
aid was collected. Sweaters, shirts, and shoes were donated, and some articles
have already been transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
Donated items are shipped to Hungary, Vitaly Skolov, head of the international
affairs section of the Emergency Management Ministry told Natalia VERNYHORA
of The Day.

Russia, Slovakia, Italy, France, and Greece have also rushed help to
Transcarpathia. The weathermen promise the suffering oblast only more rain,
snow, frost, and frozen ground...

 

 

 

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