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Greek Ministry of Interior, Attica Officials Authorize Help for Fire Victims

fire victims
A dog struggles to breathe during the fires in Evia, Greece. Credit: Greek Reporter

Five different financial resources will be granted to the fire victims of the Varympompi area after the blazes that laid waste to their homes and other property over the last several days.

A meeting attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, other officials of the government and state agencies, along with the governor of Attica and the mayors of the greater region was the scene of the decision, which will aid those most in need after their property was destroyed in the blazes.

The five ways in which the state will help fire victims include social protection, housing assistance and infrastructure rehabilitation, financial assistance and tax relief, support for agricultural holdings and flood protection and restoration of the natural environment.

The Ministry of the Interior pledges an immediate payment in the amount of 600 euros to those affected for the basic necessities they need right now; the amount will go up to 6,000 euros for household expenses.

There will be an immediate payment in the amount of 180,000 euros which will be distributed as follows: 90,000 euros for the Municipality of Acharnes, 60,000 euros for the Municipality of Kifissia and 30,000 euros for the Municipality of Dionysos.

Fire victims will receive immediate financial aid, tax deferments

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport announced that there will be an immediate granting of housing assistance for fire victims after an investigation that will be carried out in cooperation with the Municipalities and the Region.

There will be immediate grants in the form of rental subsidies to the victims who have been left homeless.

Officials from the Greek Ministry of Finance stated that there will be an exemption of the payment of ENFIA on the behalf of those affected by the fires. There will also be direct subsiies to the affected companies.

In addition there will be a suspension of tax liabilities for both companies and individuals in the areas that have been declared or will be declared in a state of emergency.

There will also be a suspension of enforcement actions on the movable or immovable property of the victims as well as regulation and suspension of insurance contributions.

Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food announced that there will be immediate compensation through ELGA of the losses suffered by the producers in beekeeping, livestock and in tree crops as well as fruit and vegetable crops.

In the context of the government effort that is made and in a spirit of understanding, a financial tool is sought in order to also compensate even the producers who did not have their crops insured in ELGA.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy declared in today’s meeting that all burned areas are declared reforestable.

There will, in addition, be an immediate intervention for the restoration of the natural environment back to its the previous state, either through natural regeneration or through artificial reforestation. Where natural regeneration is not possible, the areas are included in the National Reforestation Plan.

There will be an immediate launch of anti-corrosion and anti-flood works needed in order to shield the area from further degradation. For this reason, the forest authorities are directly funded for flood protection studies and anti-corrosion projects.

In particular, the Minister of Interior pledged to immediately activate the necessary procedures in order to provide support to the victims as soon as possible. At the same time, Makis Voridis praised the assistance of the fire brigade and the Local Government, in order to protect human lives and the reduction of material damage, and stressed that the Ministry of Interior will help all the people affected, mainly through the financier and local government organizations.

Deputy Minister of Interior Stelios Petsas thanked, in turn, all those who worked in the field for the demarcation and extinguishing of the fire, as well as the volunteers who provided shelter to residents who had been affected, and also helped to rescue people.

Petsas noted “Speed ​​is our main guide. We will be by the side of the municipalities, the region and the residents for any support needed.”

“Since (the storm) ‘Janos’, we now have a completely different approach to dealing with natural disasters. We are removing bureaucratic obstacles and moving the process immediately, where previously it took even years – in some cases – until they are completed,” he said.

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