Czech NGOs collect over 1 billion crowns in aid of tornado-hit villages

Czech NGOs have collected over 1 billion crowns in public donations for the seven villages which were hit by a tornado in late June. The charities Adra, People in Need, Via and Caritas are distributing hundreds of thousands of crowns among villagers whose houses had to be demolished or were severely damaged. The Czech government has earmarked millions of crowns to help deal with the damage and restore the local infrastructure. People who have lost their homes are getting two million crowns as a subsidy, and three million as a special loan repayable over 30 years. Insurers have put the damage caused at 3.6 billion crowns.