As Greece and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean are reeling from the impact of successive climate change-induced disasters, popular discontent and anger has been on the rise against the government’s mishandling of the crises.
Following the deadly wildfires in the months of July and August, torrential rains and storms have caused massive flooding in the Thessaly region in Greece.
The death toll continues to climb from the devastating floods last week. According to reports, with the discovery of four more bodies, a total of 15 people have been confirmed dead in the floods and other related catastrophes caused by the heavy rain from September 4 to 7.
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated from the flood-ravaged parts of Thessaly, inundated by the overflowing Pineios river. It has been estimated that around 73,000 hectares of farmland have been ravaged by the flood water and mud during the rain.
Along with Greece, parts of Turkey and Bulgaria were also hit by Storm Daniel with at least 11 people confirmed to have died in these two countries.
Coming within weeks of the nationwide wildfires that started in July, which were caused by an extreme heat wave named Cerberus and claimed 28 lives, the floods prompted progressives in Greece to call out the lack of preparedness under the conservative New Democracy-led government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Extreme climate events have become increasingly common in Greece and many parts of Europe. Progressive groups and opposition parties have also blamed the Mitsotakis government for continuing the hyper-austerity followed by successive Greek governments since the historic debt crisis. This, they point out, has seriously hampered the systemic ability to respond to such emergency situations.
In the meanwhile, members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), and All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) are actively volunteering to help people in the flood-affected region. Collection centers have been opened in various parts of the country to deliver food, clothes, medicines, and other essentials to the people in flood-affected parts of Thessaly.
On September 11, the parliamentary group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) submitted a set of demands to the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, calling for immediate measures to deal with the floods in Thessaly.
Earlier on September 9, working class movements and student and youth groups organized a major mobilization in Athens, demanding that the ND government take concrete measures to protect the people from recurring natural and human-induced disasters. In the rally the protesters raised the slogan “Drowned in rains, burned in fires, human lives are not the cost”.
