UAE affirms solidarity with flood-ridden European countries

Abu Dhabi - The combined death tolls of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg rose to 188 on Monday.

The UAE has expressed its solidarity with Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg over the loss of life caused by floods.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the governments and the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to all those affected.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the flooding that has devastated parts of Europe as "terrifying" on Sunday after the death toll across the region rose to 188 and a district of Bavaria was battered by the extreme weather.

Merkel promised swift financial aid after visiting one of the areas worst affected by the record rainfall and floods that have killed at least 157 in Germany alone in recent days, in the country's worst natural disaster in almost six decades.

Emergency services officials in the Netherlands said the situation had somewhat stabilised in the southern part of Limburg province, where tens of thousands were evacuated in recent days, although the northern part was still on high alert.

The Netherlands has so far only reported property damage from the flooding and no dead or missing people.

Parts of Switzerland remained on flood alert, though the threat posed by some of the most at-risk bodies of water like Lake Lucerne and Bern's Aare river has eased.

• Abu Dhabi