The European Union is providing coordinated assistance folowing request for help from Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina due to severe flooding in both countries as a result of continuous rainfall that started on 13 May - in Serbia the equivalent of four month’s rainfall fell in just one day.

 More than 50,000 people have been affected by the floods, with more than 6 000 evacuated to date and 300 000 homes without electricity. The floods are now threatening a key Serbian power plant – with water levels on the River Sava, one of the country's main rivers, expected to peak later today. The country's biggest power plant at Nikola Tesla supplies around 50% of Serbia’s electricity.

The Kostolac power plant west of Belgrade which provides a further 20% of Serbia's electricity is also at risk after the Mlava river broke through a second ring of flood protection.

The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina due to severe flooding in both countries.

Serbia's urgent request for high capacity water pumps and operational teams has been channelled through the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and was answered within a matter of hours by Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia and Austria.

The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Thirty six hours after the Serbian request was made the number of Member States offering assistance has reached ten, with the Czech Republic, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joining the relief efforts. Arrangements are currently underway for the deployment of rescue boats, high capacity pumps and operational teams in Serbia. 

So far, Slovenia, Austria, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Belgium and Germany have responded, offering helicopters and motor boats to support the evacuation of residents and transportation of water, medicines and food. The assistance is underway and transportation costs are being co-financed by the European Commission.

A seven-member EU Civil Protection Team is also being deployed to Serbia today to liaise with national authorities and the EU Delegation in the country. An EU team of civil protection experts will be deployed to Bosnia & Herzegovina tomorrow.

This morning Bosnia & Herzegovina requested the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for additional assistance as the situation in the country is getting more critical. The EU's  Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) immediately communicated Bosnia & Herzegovina’s request for pumps, generators, tents, humidity dryers, water purification sets, gas heaters for tents, and sanitation items to Member States.

The Centre is in constant contact with both affected countries and with participating states in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, matching the incoming offers for assistance with needs on the ground.