Flood 2024: The Road to Recovery

The catastrophic flood of 2024 destroyed homes, bridges, and infrastructure in many towns across southern Poland. We joined relief efforts to support flood victims on their way back to normal life. Although the water had long receded, the consequences of the disaster were so severe that assistance in the affected areas remained essential.

What is the Situation?

The flood that struck Poland in 2024 directly affected 2.38 million residents of more than 749 towns across three provinces. The disaster hit Lower Silesia particularly hard, where over 11,000 buildings were destroyed, including schools, kindergartens, and healthcare facilities. More than 6,500 people had to be evacuated, and nearly 57,000 residents lost access for an extended time to essential services and goods such as medicines, medical equipment, and means of transport.

The greatest needs were in the municipalities of Lądek-Zdrój, Głuchołazy, and Stronie Śląskie, where access to healthcare was severely limited – there was a shortage of doctors and nurses, and Primary Healthcare (PHC) facilities struggled with staffing and material shortages.

Our assistance

From the very first days of the crisis, we provided both medical and non-medical support. Our activities included immediate relief as well as long-term measures.

Medical assistance: Our medical team (3 doctors and 2 paramedics) provided 250 medical consultations at Primary Healthcare facilities in Lądek-Zdrój and Stronie Śląskie. We also operated a mobile clinic. At a vaccination point in Głuchołazy, we administered 172 tetanus vaccinations for adults (the team consisted of 3 doctors, 2 logisticians, and 1 pharmacist). We provided medical shifts in healthcare facilities and home visits through our mobile clinic. In addition, we distributed small medical equipment to those in need, including inhalers.
Non-medical support: Our four-person team, in cooperation with the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, carried out renovation and cleaning work in flood-affected towns.

We implemented the project from 15 November 2024 to 30 April 2025. The project partners were Strońskie Medical Center named after Marianna Orańska and Civil Partnership Maria Dukat-Krzonkalla & Wojciech Krzonkalla with branches in Lądek-Zdrój and Stronie Śląskie.