The claim
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the reconstruction plans for Ukraine, the claim has been made again and again that the German federal government would focus more on the reconstruction of Ukraine instead of pushing ahead with the construction of the Ahr Valley.
Our conclusion
The reconstruction of the Ahr Valley is progressing, even if it is still slow in some communities. The federal government is making up to 30 billion euros available for the development. Often there are craftsmen and materials that are missing for faster construction. Inflation makes things even more difficult. Germany is currently providing 1.4 billion euros for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
A flood disaster occurred in the Ahr Valley on July 14th and 15th, 2021. 135 people died in the floods, buildings were destroyed and/or in some cases severely damaged. Entire streets were washed away. The Ahr valley was in ruins. Nicole Steingaß, the reconstruction officer for the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, spoke of a total damage amount of around 18 billion euros.
How much money is the federal government contributing to the reconstruction of the Ahr Valley?
On August 25, 2021, the Bundestag dealt with the consequences of the flood disaster and planned up to 30 billion euros for the reconstruction of the Ahr Valley after the flood disaster.
On September 15, 2021, the Ministry of Finance published a report and wrote: “The focus is on repairing flood and heavy rain damage, compensation to affected private households, companies and public institutions, and rebuilding the damaged federal, state and local infrastructure.”
How is the reconstruction going?
Construction work has been going on for a year. Particular attention was paid to the infrastructure. Bridges, roads, railways, schools, daycare centers and the drinking water supply have been restored or are still partially being reconstructed. Residential streets and houses often look habitable again at first glance, but in some cases they are not yet. The construction turns out to be a mammoth task, not because the federal government does not want to push ahead with reconstruction, but because craftsmen and the necessary materials are often missing. What exactly has already been renovated and what hurdles still need to be overcome can be found in a detailed situation report from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Despite all the efforts of the federal government, there is repeated criticism from the residents of the Ahr Valley as well as from the opposition that reconstruction is progressing far too slowly and is often delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles. According to inRLP , “a little more than half a billion euros in reconstruction aid (…) had been approved for private individuals and companies” by July 2022, a year after the accident.
The extent of the devastation was great
“In total, around 65,000 people will be harmed. The focus of the natural disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate is the Ahr Valley. Around 56,000 people live along the Ahr. In the Ahr Valley, the Supervision and Services Directorate (ADD) assumes 42,000 people are affected. Of these, at least 17,000 immediately lose their belongings or face significant damage. Almost 9,000 buildings are destroyed or severely damaged along the Ahr, including dozens of schools, childcare facilities and hospitals. In sometimes dramatic situations, people are rescued from their roofs by helicopter. 135 people lose their lives and two more are missing. Of the 112 bridges in the damaged area, only 35 are initially usable and a further 17 have limited use. Many roads, gas, electricity and water lines are destroyed. Mobile communications and internet service are disrupted in many places.”
Source: Reconstruction of Rhineland-Palatinate
Already the second cold winter in the Ahr Valley
Many people in Germany are currently afraid of a cold winter. For many residents of the Ahr Valley, this fear of a cold winter is nothing new. Many houses still do not have a functioning heating system. Unfortunately, hot water bottles and radiators have been used as an emergency solution for the second winter.
Due to the energy crisis, the Ahr Valley wants to move away from gas in the future. Electricity should be the future of heating in parts of the valley. One concept is called “Cold Village Heat” : Here, sixty, sometimes one hundred meter deep holes are drilled in two parts of the town. All households that take part in the project are then connected to these heat pumps. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of heat pumps as demand is increasing sharply and delivery problems continue to occur.
The community of Insul in the Ahr Valley has already overcome many hurdles.
Not all communities in the Ahr Valley are still in the process of rebuilding. The SWR reports on the progress of the community of Insul. A high level of willingness to donate would have made construction much easier. The local mayor proudly says: “Almost all of the people are back in their houses - this was only possible thanks to the help from each other and from outside.” A 2.2 million euro citizens' fund would have been created through donations and would have given many uninsured people back gave hope. Even if the community has not yet been completely restored, important infrastructure is still intact again. In addition, care was taken to ensure that the houses were renovated in an energy-sustainable manner.
The reconstruction of Ukraine
The Chancellor and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have promised Ukraine long-term help for reconstruction . This reconstruction is expected to take decades. The civil infrastructure in particular should be restored as quickly as possible. So far, the G7 states, the EU and its members have raised 35 billion euros in emergency aid. Help is also so important so that Ukraine has the opportunity to take off again economically. However, there must be a functioning infrastructure for citizens. Hospitals, roads and schools must be made accessible again.
How much has the G7 already paid for the reconstruction of Ukraine?
The Süddeutsche Zeitung states that, in addition to military and humanitarian aid, 20.7 billion US dollars have already been provided as budget aid. Although Germany is the largest donor within the EU with a total of 1.4 billion euros, the largest donor is the USA. This shows that the federal government has made significantly more money available for the reconstruction of the Ahr Valley.
Conclusion
The reconstruction of the Ahr Valley is progressing, albeit slowly in some communities. The federal government is making up to 30 billion euros available for the development. Often there are craftsmen and materials that are missing for faster construction. Inflation makes things even more difficult. Compared to the 30 billion euros for the reconstruction of the Ahr Valley, Germany's funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine amount to 1.4 billion euros. The USA is currently making the largest financial contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Source:
German Bundestag , Federal Ministry of Finance , The State Government of Rhineland-Palatinate , inRLP , Reconstruction of Rhineland-Palatinate , tagesschau.de , SWR AKTUELL , SWR AKTUELL , The Federal Government G7 Germany , Süddeutsche Zeitung
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