The Technische Hilfswerk (THW) has published its annual review for 2023.
THW started 2023 with a mission in Turkey. Following the devastating earthquakes, the THW’s emergency services helped to rescue buried victims, supported the United Nations (UN) mission and brought relief supplies totalling around 7.6 million euros to Syria and Turkey. Following heavy rainfall in Slovenia in August, THW helped with road repairs and clean-up work. In addition, two bridges were built by the bridge construction team. Since the start of the war in 2022, THW has been delivering relief supplies to Ukraine and other war-affected regions. This makes the delivery of relief supplies one of THW’s most important tasks.
In addition to a large number of missions abroad, THW was of course also active at home. For example, during severe thunderstorms, hail and storms in June or the storm surge of the century at the end of October on the Baltic Sea. The THW was also called upon in winter. Firstly due to heavy snowfall in southern Germany and over Christmas and New Year into January 2024 due to winter flooding in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
There were also some changes within THW. THW welcomed its new President Sabine Lackner and its new Vice President Dierk Hansen. At the same time, Gerd Friedsam was bid farewell after more than eleven years at the helm of THW. In 2023, the THW recorded an increase of over 4,000 helpers and a total of almost 88,000 volunteers were involved.
Source: THW