Devastating floods hit Slovenia and damage two thirds of the country. Here is what happened and how you can help.
Floods and major river overflows were caused by downpours that crossed Slovenia on the nights of 3rd and 4th of August. The catastrophic weather saw almost a month’s worth of rainfall in 24 hours.
They have been described as the ‘worst-ever natural disaster’ in Slovenian recent history and had damaged two-thirds of the country. Road and energy infrastructure were hit particularly hard – roads and bridges have been cut off and many buildings were swamped as well as hundreds of homes.
The most affected had been regions in the northern part of Slovenia – Upper Carniola, Carinthia, Upper Savinja Valley and the northern surroundings of Ljubljana.
16 000 of homes have been left without electricity, thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes and many had to be rescued by helicopters or firefighters in boats. Slovenia’s army has joined the relief effort, with troops reaching cut off areas in the north to help. 168 fire brigades took part in 1039 interventions within 12 hours. In doing so, they pumped water from flooded buildings, covered triggered avalanches, and removed debris and vehicles that had been swept away. Major roads in parts of Slovenia were partially closed on Saturday because of the flooding, including the main highway through the country. 6 people have died and the damage done to the county is unimaginable. Damage assessment is not final yet, but is to be measured in billions.
Due to the soggy ground, the biggest danger now is landslides, which were triggered on August 6th on a large scale. Most of them were recorded in Carinthia and in the Savinjska Valley.
Best way you can help from abroad is to donate to humanitarian organisations – here is a full list:
Slovenian Red Cross (Rdeči križ Slovenije)
Bank transfer information:
Recipient: Rdeči križ Slovenija
Address: Mirje 19, 1000 Ljubljana
IBAN: SI56 0310 0123 4567 891
SWIFT/BIC: SKBASI2X
Creditor reference: SI00 96875
Purpose of transfer code: CHAR
Purpose of transfer: UJMA 2023
Czech Red Cross: The Czech branch of Red Cross is collecting donations which will go towards those affected by floods in Slovenia. They have enabled credit card payments and Paypal donations on this link.
Caritas Slovenia (Slovenska Karitas)
Bank transfer information:
Recipient: Slovenska Karitas
Address: Kristanova ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana
IBAN: SI56 0214 0001 5556 761
SWIFT/BIC: LJBASI2X
Creditor reference: SI 00 624
Purpose of transfer code: CHAR
Purpose of transfer: POMOČ NEURJE
Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth (Zveza prijateljev mladine)
Bank transfer information:
Recipient: Zveza prijateljev mladine Slovenije
Address: Dimičeva ulica 9, 1000 Ljubljana
IBAN: SI56 6100 0000 3512 232
SWIFT/BIC: HDELSI22
Creditor reference: SI00 245021
Purpose of transfer code: CHAR
Purpose of transfer: NEURJE
Paypal: link for donations.
ADRA Slovenia
Bank transfer information:
Recipient: HD ADRA Slovenija
Address: Njegoševa 15 1000 Ljubljana
IBAN: SI56 0284 3026 3945 425
SWIFT/BIC: LJBASI2X
Creditor reference: SI00 2023
Purpose of transfer code: CHAR
Purpose of transfer: NEURJE 2023
Paypal: link for donations.
Ministry of Finance of Slovenia
A special budget item was created within the Ministry of Finance of Slovenia, where funds will be collected for mitigating the consequences of floods. Please take the following information into account when making the transfer.
Bank transfer information:
Recipient: Republic of Slovenia
Address: Gregorciceva ulica 20
IBAN: SI56 0110 0630 0109 972
Purpose of transfer: Elimination of the consequences of floods
Purpose of transfer code: CHAR
Creditor reference (for legal entities): 18 10995 – 7300000 – 23011223
Creditor reference (for natural persons): 18 10995 – 7301006 – 23011223
Bank transfers: Be careful to include the SWIFT/BIC code to ensure the transfer goes through. When selecting the purpose of the transfer code, it is important to select “CHAR” in order to process it as a charity payment. If you have any issues with donations via bank transfers please contact your bank.
Paypal donations: Several organizations created Paypal links which are listed below bank transfer information.
Source of information on how to donate: Pod Črto.