Dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church provide assistance to flood victims in Orenburg, Kurgan, Omsk, Samara regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Altai Territory of Russia and Kazakhstan. Priests, volunteers, and sisters of mercy help with the placement of victims, participate in evacuation, visit temporary accommodation facilities where residents of flooded settlements are located, collect and transfer assistance to those in need.
In the Orenburg diocese, victims of flooding are received daily at the diocesan relief center "Cradle". The center is open on weekdays from 10.00 to 22.00, on weekends from 11.00 to 22.00. Food, detergents and cleaning products, personal hygiene products, blankets, pillows, bed linen and other basic necessities are given to those in need. On April 9-11, 103 families with children received assistance.
Metropolitan Peter of Orenburg and Saraktash visited Orsk on April 9-10. The bishop delivered humanitarian aid for flood victims collected by the social department of the Orenburg Diocese. The assistance included personal hygiene products, baby diapers, food, baby cereals, mixtures, clothes for children and adults, sets of bed linen, mattresses, blankets, pillows, drinking water, basic necessities. The aid was delivered to the Iversky Convent and distributed to those in need.
On April 10, Bishop Peter celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Trinity Church of the Iversky Convent in Orsk. After the service, the bishop visited the Old Town, where the water caused particular damage to the residents of Orsk. On a motorboat, Metropolitan Peter, together with Archpriest Sergiy Baranov and Priest Vadim Tatus, visited the Transfiguration Church located on the mountain. This temple was surrounded on all sides by water, but at the same time it became a refuge for the affected people. Hundreds of people have taken shelter in the temple since the first hours after the flood, and dozens of people are still there who come for help. A field kitchen is deployed here, people are given drinking water and provided with everything they need. The building of the comprehensive school, which is located on the territory of the parish, houses people whose houses are still flooded and who have nowhere to go. Since the beginning of the flood, 250 victims have been helped at the Transfiguration Church in Orsk.
During Vladyka Peter's trip by motorboat to the Transfiguration Church, the clergy accompanying him, with the help of a brigade of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, also visited the Intercession Church, flooded with water by 1.5 meters, and were able to get several valuable icons and ancient books out of the water.
Also, parishioners of the Dimitrievsky Church, the church of the Blessed Matron of Moscow, the church of the Blessed Prince Roman of Ryazan Orenburg and the volunteer movement "We will Help" transferred humanitarian aid to flood victims to teachers of secondary schools, a perinatal center, an animal shelter and addressed parcels to a large family in Orsk.
In the Iversky convent of Orsk, 16,410 liters of drinking water from a well and 2,168 loaves of bread baked in the monastery were distributed in five days. All this was distributed at three venues in the city: the Iversky Monastery, the Cathedral of the Great Martyr George the Victorious and the church of the Great Martyr Panteleimon. Today, 22 flood victims live in the Iversky Convent.
The Humanitarian center of the Orsk diocese distributed a ton of food, 500 kg of things, as well as new underwear and socks for 40,000 rubles at temporary accommodation points. The collection of humanitarian kits for targeted assistance has begun in the diocese.
The Kazan diocese has purchased humanitarian aid worth one million rubles for the Orsk diocese: dehumidifiers, a motor pump, a generator and other necessary equipment, cots, pillows. Over the weekend, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan, the diocese will hold a plate gathering for the victims in Orsk.
In the Buzuluk diocese, flood victims come to the church humanitarian center for help. They take bed linen, dishes, clothes.
The Kurgan Diocese continues to provide assistance to flood victims. The head of the social department of the diocese, Archpriest Vladimir Alekseev, and the sisters of Mercy visit the hospitals, where residents from villages and suburban areas of Kurgan, subject to possible flooding, have been evacuated. Food, baby and adult diapers (since there are recumbent diapers in the PVR), hygiene products, clothes are delivered to the PVR by address requests. Targeted assistance is also provided to residents who have settled in rented housing on their own. The humanitarian aid center continues to operate in the Port Arthur Kurgan Temple. Both residents and rescuers come here for help — they are given tea and cookies at their request. Assistance has also been transferred to the neighboring Shadrinsk diocese, where there are also flood victims — children's and adult diapers and hygiene products have been transferred there.
In the Shadrinsk diocese, clergy in the flood zone assist the authorities and emergency situations agencies in evacuating the population. They conduct conversations with those who do not want to leave the flood zone, if necessary, they help with the evacuation itself. With the blessing of Bishop Vladimir of Shadrinsk and Dalmatia, the diocesan department for Church Charity and Social service has formed a reserve of humanitarian aid. Targeted assistance is provided to the victims.
In the Isilkul diocese, two villages — more than 1,300 people - were affected by the flood. The water is already receding, people began to return to their homes. Metropolitan Dionysius of Omsk and Tauride announced a cash collection in churches over the weekend, the money raised will go to help the victims — people need bed linen, mattresses, boots, and basic necessities.
In the Ufa diocese, churches are also collecting donations for the victims.
Four houses were flooded in the suburbs of Barnaul. Archpriest Mikhail Ben, head of the social department of the Barnaul Diocese, met with the city administration and offered assistance to the victims.
During the week, the Kinel diocese provided assistance to the injured residents of the flooded village of Bolshaya Glushitsa. Food packages and things were handed over from the diocese — several families were targeted and 50 food packages were transferred to the PVR. Several families were also helped in the village of Pestravka. The flood is coming down now.
In Northern and Western Kazakhstan, near rivers and reservoirs, the situation is quite serious. Volunteers are needed in these areas. Aktobe, Ural, Kostanay, and Peter and Paul dioceses were affected by the flood. In Alma-Ata and Astana, several organizations organized a collection of aid, including the Astana Diocese.
The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service on the church platform "Let's Help" opened a fundraiser for people in Orsk and in all settlements affected by the flood. The donations collected will be directed primarily to the purchase of equipment for pumping water and dehumidifying residential premises, hygiene products, bed linen, mattresses, pillows, clothes, and targeted needs of the victims.
You can ask for help in flood-affected settlements by calling the Synodal Department of Charity hotline 8-800-70-70-222.
According to official data from the authorities, as of April 12, 177 settlements in 205 municipal districts remain flooded in Russia. There were 12,176 residential buildings and 19,619 household plots in the flood zone.