With the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Slovakia, a request for assistance was made under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. 53 soldiers from the AFDRU (Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit) unit of the Austrian Armed Forces have been supporting the Slovakian emergency organizations in the fight against the epidemic since Wednesday evening.
The operation began with the decontamination of large vehicles at the Rajka border crossing from Hungary to Slovakia. Since then, an average of 25 vehicles have been decontaminated there every hour to enable entry into Slovakia. The fulfillment of the mission must be ensured “day and night in shifts to prevent the spread of the disease to other countries”, as stated in a recent press release from the Armed Forces states.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner on the deployment: “The threat of foot-and-mouth disease requires rapid and coordinated action across national borders. As a reliable partner within the European Union, Austria is making an important contribution to containing this animal disease in Slovakia with the deployment of our soldiers. I would like to thank our soldiers of the Austrian Armed Forces for their professional and dedicated commitment.”
Tanner continued: “Their swift action, expertise and operational readiness once again underline the importance of our Armed Forces as an indispensable pillar in national and international crisis management. This mission shows how important European solidarity and cooperation are in the event of a crisis. We stand by our neighbors – quickly, unbureaucratically and with all our strength.”
The 53 soldiers, including one woman, come from almost every federal state. Styria accounts for the lion’s share with 19 soldiers, followed by soldiers from Lower Austria, Vienna, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg. The unit is also reinforced with soldiers from the militia.
The AFDRU unit was deployed with 18 vehicles, including 6 special vehicles. The decontamination teams currently require 1,000 liters of water and 100 liters of chemicals for disinfection every hour. As of this morning, more than 700 vehicles have already been decontaminated.
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