The assessment of damage caused by Saturday’s severe weather has already begun, and the Council of Ministers will decide on compensation, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou has said.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he noted that the framework governing compensation will be based on previous decisions of the Council of Ministers.
Asked by CNA whether the damage would be assessed and whether state compensation was expected, the Interior Minister said that assessments began on Saturday afternoon in some areas of Nicosia district and continued on Sunday. From today, Monday, 31 August, district administration teams will also visit Polis Chrysochous and the other districts.
He noted that most of the damage has been reported in Nicosia district, with district administration officials already visiting several communities to assess the situation. Regarding the other districts, Ioannou said there had been no significant damage, apart from a lightning strike in Avgorou, in the Famagusta district, but that assessment teams would visit the other districts from Monday.
Asked about possible state compensation, Ioannou said that, in cases of natural disasters, there are existing decisions by the Council of Ministers providing for certain amounts of assistance to businesses, homes and other affected properties.
“The compensation framework is governed by previous decisions of the Council of Ministers,” he added.
Asked when the damage assessment would be completed, he said he did not know, as this would depend on the volume of work involved.
He added that, once the assessment is complete, the matter would be submitted to the Council of Ministers, which would decide on compensation. He stressed that a framework already exists based on previous natural disasters, reiterating that the scope of any compensation would be determined based on previous decisions.
Ioannou’s statements follow those of President Nikos Christodoulides who said earlier on Sunday that the state would support those affected.
Speaking to journalists after a memorial service in Geri, and asked about the consequences of Saturday’s severe weather, the President expressed his sorrow over the “tragic loss of one of our fellow citizens.”
All competent services, he added, have been on alert “to see how we can help address the challenges, problems and damage” caused by the severe weather.
“The state will stand by all those of our fellow citizens who are in need,” he said.
He also said that “from very early on, in the days leading up to this, the competent authorities had been warning about the situation.”
(Source: CNA)
