EU gives 10M euros in aid after Southeast Asia floods

BRUSSELS—Europe is to send 10 million euros ($13.8 million) to help the hundreds of thousands of victims of the massive flooding in and around Thailand, the European Commission announced Friday.

The money will go toward helping people hit by the flooding in five countries in southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand itself, said the statement.

“In a region which is ever-prone to natural disasters, this year’s monsoon season has been particularly fierce, causing loss of life, damage to infrastructure and property and destroying livelihoods,” aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said.

Heavy rains since July have already killed more than 600 people and, according to Commission figures, affected around 7.4 million people.

In Thailand alone, the worst flooding in decades has killed nearly 350 people and disrupted the lives of millions of people, mainly in the north and center of the country.