Back
Work and Prayer – Fear and Dread News about the flood which still threatens Transcarpathia (March 23, 2001, dealing mainly with events of March 16-17) Let us begin by thanking those who have expressed their concern, prayed for us, and wish to help us by any means. The assistance by our Christian brothers and sisters around the world is a great source of strength and support. Above all we thank our Lord who remains with us even in trials such as these. “When you go through water, I will be with you so the rivers will not drown you…” (Isaiah 43:2) . Two or three weeks after the flood, it sometimes seems possible to go about the task of removing the chaos that has come into being. For most of the villages east of Berehovo that is possible, but not for the region between Beregszász / Berehovo and Csap / Chop. The massive water from a breached Hungarian dam still covers the whole area of Transcarpathia like a big lake. The amount of water there is being compared to Lake Balaton. It has indeed been suspected that it even contains triple the amount of water in the Balaton. This slowly moving lake has flooded many villages. Some have been under water for 2 weeks (Hetyen, Kispapi, Harangláb, Badó I, Badó II, Danilovka, Bagolyszállás). It is a sobering experience to see these towns, or at least get close to them. Five or six days after the complete “baptism” of the villages, the victims try once again to rescue homeowners from their houses. The little boats being used come from the Ukrainian army. However these boats have no rudders, for some inexplicable reason. So garden tools, shovels and carpet-beaters were used to assist in movement. Where boats are unavailable, wooden doors are used as floatation devices. Some people even tie chairs onto them so as to keep better balance. One person was carrying an old-fashioned, comfortable armchair, another had 2 big baskets with potatoes, another a VCR, someone else a candlestick holder. Various pieces of furniture line up on a dam in a group. Many people try to get their belongings home by bicycle—imagine trying to saddle a television set on a bike. Naturally the water itself is very disgusting. How many animals drowned in it? How many outhouses washed their “contents” into the water? The birds hovering over the water are a clear sign that there is something to eat which is unfit for human consumption. Nearby the water threatens other villages (Botrágy, Nagybakos, Kisbakos, Batyú, Újbatyú, Petrivka, Szalóka, Eszeny...). The inhabitants of these villages are simply crippled. They live in places which have never been threatened by flooding before (at least not in living memory), and now a gigantic lake lies at the doors of their fragile houses. The only thing between them and disaster is small dams, often built by the inhabitants themselves in the past 2 weeks working day and night. What else can be done in such a situation other than work and pray? These people have simply given their all in a desperate struggle against time to protect their living space. There are not many who can have confidence in the face of such dangers, that God works for their good under all circumstances. They haven’t slept for days and are too tired and worried to eat. The fear is not just from the water itself. The villages are all afraid of each other, since it is in each village’s interest that a dam break somewhere else, and not near itself. Everyone is afraid of the Ukrainian authorities deciding to “sacrifice” the smaller villages so as to save Csap / Chop, a bigger, more important city. They are terrified of the railway authorities in Kiev, who might do anything to protect important international railway lines. All of these fears might be justifiable or not. Anyone from these villages showing up as a stranger in another village is asked constantly by people wanting to know if the visitor’s intentions are bad or good. But even more important: the residents are afraid of the people from villages already inundated, since the latter (understandably) desire the floods to recede from their locales—by all possible means. Some of these people went to Szalóka and tried to breach the dam there in order to lower the water level by their own village. It nearly resulted in street fighting. Szalóka survived another day—but one resident of Szalóka admitted that he would have attempted the same thing had his own house been under water. The Hungarian government sent a lot of heavy-duty pumps across the border to help with pumping the water back into the rivers. But they admitted that 100 pumps working non-stop would need 2 months to do the job. There are sewer lines which were intended to handle runoff. However they are clogged with vegetation and have not been maintained, and are thus not up to the task at hand. Furthermore there are metal gates available, which can be raised or lowered. Normally these are used to allow controlled flooding of unpopulated areas. Just like with the sewers, this possibility is non-existent because of neglected technology. At one place a gate was stolen (the metal is very valuable to many poor people), at other places the gates were welded shut by the people so as to avoid the danger of the gates being left open too long. If a gate is missing, the local residents have to use sandbags. That only helps, however, if the quantity of water is limited. Another problem is the constant rain, which in the last few weeks has raised the rivers to a high level. East of Beregszász / Berehovo the water has nearly receded everywhere and enables an assessment of the damage. The water from broken dams has reached many villages as a 2-meter deep flood destroying everything in its path. Stable fences which seemed indestructible until now have been torn to pieces. Official data from the Ukrainian government indicate that almost 1,700 houses have been destroyed. This number will grow when more information becomes available from regions still flooded. Last week Hungarian television gave an estimate of 1,750 destroyed homes of Hungarian families in Transcarpathia, not counting those of many Ukrainian families. There are still no figures about houses left standing but unusable. Based on past experience this number will far exceed the number of destroyed houses. In Szászfalu nearly all the homes were destroyed, where the Hungarian population is in the minority. The situation in Tekeháza is almost just as miserable. In this large Catholic village, 70 homes of Reformed families were destroyed. Current figures and data of the Reformed population indicate Nagypalád was hit the worst—130 Reformed families lost their homes. In Feketeardó (severely hit by the 1998 flood) it was said that all houses not destroyed then were destroyed this time—60 Reformed families saw their homes collapse. In Csepe there were 8 houses, in Técsõ 5, in Huszt 3; and in Tiszabökény 18. In spite of this there are still no figures from Mezõvári, Csetfalva, Harangláb and Hetyen. In the hills toward Rahó there is a serious risk of mudslides. At 200 places moving mud was sighted and at least 318 families had to be evacuated. Everywhere there is a high risk of disease from the contaminated water. Moreover there is a lower standard for substitute “lodging” for people who have lost their homes. A news item states that in one village 250 gypsies are living in a gymnasium 20 meters long with one little outhouse. In one flooded village (Kovászó) there was an outbreak of measles, which makes it appear that diseases can spread rapidly. People in charge are hard at work disinfecting the houses, wells and people, but the amount of work is enormous. Official figures speak of about 200,000 people examined, of whom 17,500 are sick (including 4,000 children) and 1,000 people have been sent to hospitals. When a land surface stays under polluted water for a long time (and warmer temperatures prevail, considered by many to be inevitable), the risks from disease will take on gigantic proportions. The Reformed Church of Transcarpathia has done everything it can to help the people. Purified water has been regularly brought into the villages. A large amount of bread has been baked every day and given to people in dire need. Farm machinery has been given to the villages to battle the flood. Soup kitchens have been set up, including in the villages affected, and also in villages not affected, and the food delivered each day to towns in need. Institutions of the Reformed Church (set up in the past 10 years) have played a significant part in these efforts: the Reformed school in Tivadarfalva, the diaconal center in Beregszász / Berehovo, and the children’s institutions in Nagydobrony, to mention just a few. All of these establishments have given selflessly, indeed even replenishing their own reserves so as to stay “above water”. Although the members and congregations of the Reformed Church are themselves very poor, those in dry regions have done everything possible to help disadvantaged people. Organizations have cooperated in order to better distribute the work. Along with making bread and water available, church members have gone to the flooded villages to help tear down ruined houses. The Reformed organization of Gypsies have also done everything they could to help their countrymen in affected regions. The efforts since then have extended in the direction of an organized rebuilding of homes, and have resulted in “flooding defense centers” which will keep boats, watertight clothing and water containers on hand, which can be used to respond quickly to future flooding. Should the church be involved in this? In other parts of the world, people could have relied on the support of the government and rescue organizations. Unfortunately that is not the case here. Our Christian love of neighbor leaves us no choice but to help where we can, since we know that without the Lord, all our efforts are for nothing. We believe that God turns everything to good for those who believe in Him. And while we work, we pray that even under such conditions His hand will rest upon us. May God bless each of you and show us the true path on our search for the best way to help. If you desire and are able to help in any way, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. Martin Robb for László Horkay, Bishop of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia +36 (70) 222-1890 martin@matavnet.hu H-3545 Miskolc, Pf. 511, Hungary
Back

Work and Prayer – Fear and Dread

News about the flood which still threatens Transcarpathia (March 23, 2001, dealing mainly with events of March 16-17)

Let us begin by thanking those who have expressed their concern, prayed for us, and wish to help us by any means. The assistance by our Christian brothers and sisters around the world is a great source of strength and support. Above all we thank our Lord who remains with us even in trials such as these. “When you go through water, I will be with you so the rivers will not drown you…” (Isaiah 43:2) .

Two or three weeks after the flood, it sometimes seems possible to go about the task of removing the chaos that has come into being. For most of the villages east of Berehovo that is possible, but not for the region between Beregszász / Berehovo and Csap / Chop. The massive water from a breached Hungarian dam still covers the whole area of Transcarpathia like a big lake. The amount of water there is being compared to Lake Balaton. It has indeed been suspected that it even contains triple the amount of water in the Balaton.

This slowly moving lake has flooded many villages. Some have been under water for 2 weeks (Hetyen, Kispapi, Harangláb, Badó I, Badó II, Danilovka, Bagolyszállás). It is a sobering experience to see these towns, or at least get close to them. Five or six days after the complete “baptism” of the villages, the victims try once again to rescue homeowners from their houses. The little boats being used come from the Ukrainian army. However these boats have no rudders, for some inexplicable reason. So garden tools, shovels and carpet-beaters were used to assist in movement. Where boats are unavailable, wooden doors are used as floatation devices. Some people even tie chairs onto them so as to keep better balance.

One person was carrying an old-fashioned, comfortable armchair, another had 2 big baskets with potatoes, another a VCR, someone else a candlestick holder. Various pieces of furniture line up on a dam in a group. Many people try to get their belongings home by bicycle—imagine trying to saddle a television set on a bike.

Naturally the water itself is very disgusting. How many animals drowned in it? How many outhouses washed their “contents” into the water? The birds hovering over the water are a clear sign that there is something to eat which is unfit for human consumption.

Nearby the water threatens other villages (Botrágy, Nagybakos, Kisbakos, Batyú, Újbatyú, Petrivka, Szalóka, Eszeny...). The inhabitants of these villages are simply crippled. They live in places which have never been threatened by flooding before (at least not in living memory), and now a gigantic lake lies at the doors of their fragile houses. The only thing between them and disaster is small dams, often built by the inhabitants themselves in the past 2 weeks working day and night.

What else can be done in such a situation other than work and pray? These people have simply given their all in a desperate struggle against time to protect their living space. There are not many who can have confidence in the face of such dangers, that God works for their good under all circumstances. They haven’t slept for days and are too tired and worried to eat.

The fear is not just from the water itself. The villages are all afraid of each other, since it is in each village’s interest that a dam break somewhere else, and not near itself. Everyone is afraid of the Ukrainian authorities deciding to “sacrifice” the smaller villages so as to save Csap / Chop, a bigger, more important city. They are terrified of the railway authorities in Kiev, who might do anything to protect important international railway lines. All of these fears might be justifiable or not. Anyone from these villages showing up as a stranger in another village is asked constantly by people wanting to know if the visitor’s intentions are bad or good.

But even more important: the residents are afraid of the people from villages already inundated, since the latter (understandably) desire the floods to recede from their locales—by all possible means. Some of these people went to Szalóka and tried to breach the dam there in order to lower the water level by their own village. It nearly resulted in street fighting. Szalóka survived another day—but one resident of Szalóka admitted that he would have attempted the same thing had his own house been under water.

The Hungarian government sent a lot of heavy-duty pumps across the border to help with pumping the water back into the rivers. But they admitted that 100 pumps working non-stop would need 2 months to do the job. There are sewer lines which were intended to handle runoff. However they are clogged with vegetation and have not been maintained, and are thus not up to the task at hand. Furthermore there are metal gates available, which can be raised or lowered. Normally these are used to allow controlled flooding of unpopulated areas. Just like with the sewers, this possibility is non-existent because of neglected technology. At one place a gate was stolen (the metal is very valuable to many poor people), at other places the gates were welded shut by the people so as to avoid the danger of the gates being left open too long. If a gate is missing, the local residents have to use sandbags. That only helps, however, if the quantity of water is limited.

Another problem is the constant rain, which in the last few weeks has raised the rivers to a high level. East of Beregszász / Berehovo the water has nearly receded everywhere and enables an assessment of the damage. The water from broken dams has reached many villages as a 2-meter deep flood destroying everything in its path. Stable fences which seemed indestructible until now have been torn to pieces.

Official data from the Ukrainian government indicate that almost 1,700 houses have been destroyed. This number will grow when more information becomes available from regions still flooded. Last week Hungarian television gave an estimate of 1,750 destroyed homes of Hungarian families in Transcarpathia, not counting those of many Ukrainian families. There are still no figures about houses left standing but unusable. Based on past experience this number will far exceed the number of destroyed houses.

In Szászfalu nearly all the homes were destroyed, where the Hungarian population is in the minority. The situation in Tekeháza is almost just as miserable. In this large Catholic village, 70 homes of Reformed families were destroyed. Current figures and data of the Reformed population indicate Nagypalád was hit the worst—130 Reformed families lost their homes. In Feketeardó (severely hit by the 1998 flood) it was said that all houses not destroyed then were destroyed this time—60 Reformed families saw their homes collapse. In Csepe there were 8 houses, in Técsõ 5, in Huszt 3; and in Tiszabökény 18. In spite of this there are still no figures from Mezõvári, Csetfalva, Harangláb and Hetyen.

In the hills toward Rahó there is a serious risk of mudslides. At 200 places moving mud was sighted and at least 318 families had to be evacuated. Everywhere there is a high risk of disease from the contaminated water. Moreover there is a lower standard for substitute “lodging” for people who have lost their homes. A news item states that in one village 250 gypsies are living in a gymnasium 20 meters long with one little outhouse.

In one flooded village (Kovászó) there was an outbreak of measles, which makes it appear that diseases can spread rapidly. People in charge are hard at work disinfecting the houses, wells and people, but the amount of work is enormous. Official figures speak of about 200,000 people examined, of whom 17,500 are sick (including 4,000 children) and 1,000 people have been sent to hospitals. When a land surface stays under polluted water for a long time (and warmer temperatures prevail, considered by many to be inevitable), the risks from disease will take on gigantic proportions.

The Reformed Church of Transcarpathia has done everything it can to help the people. Purified water has been regularly brought into the villages. A large amount of bread has been baked every day and given to people in dire need. Farm machinery has been given to the villages to battle the flood. Soup kitchens have been set up, including in the villages affected, and also in villages not affected, and the food delivered each day to towns in need. Institutions of the Reformed Church (set up in the past 10 years) have played a significant part in these efforts: the Reformed school in Tivadarfalva, the diaconal center in Beregszász / Berehovo, and the children’s institutions in Nagydobrony, to mention just a few. All of these establishments have given selflessly, indeed even replenishing their own reserves so as to stay “above water”.

Although the members and congregations of the Reformed Church are themselves very poor, those in dry regions have done everything possible to help disadvantaged people. Organizations have cooperated in order to better distribute the work. Along with making bread and water available, church members have gone to the flooded villages to help tear down ruined houses. The Reformed organization of Gypsies have also done everything they could to help their countrymen in affected regions.

The efforts since then have extended in the direction of an organized rebuilding of homes, and have resulted in “flooding defense centers” which will keep boats, watertight clothing and water containers on hand, which can be used to respond quickly to future flooding.

Should the church be involved in this? In other parts of the world, people could have relied on the support of the government and rescue organizations. Unfortunately that is not the case here. Our Christian love of neighbor leaves us no choice but to help where we can, since we know that without the Lord, all our efforts are for nothing. We believe that God turns everything to good for those who believe in Him. And while we work, we pray that even under such conditions His hand will rest upon us.

May God bless each of you and show us the true path on our search for the best way to help.

If you desire and are able to help in any way, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.

Martin Robb
for László Horkay, Bishop of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia
+36 (70) 222-1890
martin@matavnet.hu
H-3545 Miskolc, Pf. 511, Hungary

Back