Nearly €1m given out to flood-hit homeowners

By Evie Andreou
IN TOTAL €787.000 has been spent so far for the support and reimbursement of those affected by the Nicosia and Larnaca floods last month, the interior ministry announced on Wednesday.
The sum was secured from savings from the ministry’s other budgets the announcement said.
According to reports, more than 300 houses were affected by the floods in Larnaca and the storms in Nicosia that flooded establishments in Kokkinotrimithia as well as more than 100 cars.
Following the disastrous Larnaca area floods, Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos had reassured everyone affected that the state would help them get back on their feet and that payments would be made immediately after the district offices handed in their damage reports.
The announcement said that €400.000 was given as compensation to 120 people from Larnaca and 33 from Kokkinotrimithia.
Around 60 people, whose houses were deemed uninhabitable, were hosted in hotels for about a week until the mud that the flood left behind was cleaned from their residences, while crews were delivering food to the affected families.
The announcement said that €100,000 was spent for renting vehicles and equipment for anti-flood works, and €287,000 for hotel stays and food.
“The compensation that has been been given to those affected concerns houses,” the announcement said.
It added that the cases of damaged professional establishments and cars were being studied vis a vis insurance.
The ministry, it said, had gone above and beyond its obligations, spending significant additional funds for the cleaning of rivers, brooks and other flood protection infrastructure.

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