Become a monthly donor today and your first month’s gift will have an additional $50 added to it.
Become A Monthly Donor
  • Donate Now
    • Back to Relief Efforts

    WCK supports communities in Poland and Czech Republic after severe flooding

    Chefs For Central Europe
    Donate Now
    Multiple Locations | Active from September – October 2024
    World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team was on the ground in Poland and the Czech Republic to provide food and potable water as torrential rains in central Europe caused the worst flooding in decades. At least 24 people died and tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes across Poland, Austria, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Hundreds of thousands more were without power.

    Effects of Storm Boris—the slow moving, low pressure system hammering central Europe—were felt as rivers continued to rise. The storm brought more than a month’s worth of rain and triggered critical evacuation alerts across the region.

    WCK teams arrived in Nysa, Poland and began assessing food needs with sandwiches in hand. Dangerous flooding forced bridges into the city to become impassable. We quickly expanded our response to Kłodzko and Głuchołazy, positioning two food trucks where nourishing meals are needed most. At the same time, WCK teams in the Czech Republic started scouting—they distributed sandwiches while determining where more support was needed. Communities like Krnov and Jesenik were heavily impacted, so we returned there with hot meals as soon as possible. Our team based in Madrid, Spain also deployed several WCK Food Trucks to other impacted areas in central Europe. 

    180,000+

    Hot Meals Served

    13,000+

    Sandwiches Distributed

    A warm cup of soup

    In Głuchołazy, Poland, we partnered with Mikolaj, a chef affectionately known as The Soup Guy. He whipped up a vegetarian soup along with a bolognese soup with sausage, and the long lines and big smiles proved that a warm cup of soup really is a heartwarming meal. Mikolaj is a longtime WCK partner—he first cooked with us at the Polish-Ukrainian border in 2022, and he joined our teams in 2023 in the aftermath of earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. There, he cooked his signature soups and made sure to have Polish candies and chocolates for all the kids.

    Left: Mikolaj cooking in Türkiye in 2023. Right: families in Poland impacted by flooding enjoy a warm cup of his soup.

    Clean up in the Czech Republic

    In Opava, Czech Republic, Peter from WCK’s food truck partner Fully Belly and his team cooked picadillo with basmati rice and Peruvian spices for families starting to recover from Storm Boris. Flooding in the town of Opava reached over 9 feet high inside many homes. “Most of the people don’t have time to cook themselves while they are focused on cleaning their homes,” said Peter.

    News from the ground

    All News

    • Nelly checks in from Česká Ves, where WCK is teaming up with our food truck partner to provide local residents, cleanup crews, and volunteers with warm quesadillas as they repair and rebuild after Storm Boris.

      Twitter | 9/24/2024

    • WCK’s Juan Camilo is with Sasha from our food truck partner, Ramen and More, in Stronie Śląskie. We are here supporting families recovering from historic flooding. Watch to learn about Sasha’s dedication to helping people in need, both in Ukraine and now in Poland.

      Twitter | 9/23/2024

    • The Polish town of Stronie Śląskie was severely affected by the recent flooding—streets were completely submerged, and residents were left without utilities like electricity and water. WCK served more than 3,200 hot meals here yesterday to support families beginning the long task of rebuilding.

      Twitter | 9/22/2024