Romania struggles to shelter flood victims along Danube

? More than 15,000 Romanians who fled areas flooded by the Danube River are crowded into tent communities and faced with dwindling food supplies, residents and volunteers said Wednesday.

With waters still rising after about two weeks of flooding, hundreds have taken refuge on a hill overlooking Chiselet, a village of 3,400 people in south-central Romania.

Some are in makeshift shelters made from plastic sheets, while others have crammed into army tents. Food is running low, they say, and there are no toilets, forcing them to use a nearby field.

Volunteers and authorities on Wednesday brought bread, water and canned foods – provided by the government – and promised to set up portable toilets today.

It is a situation seen along the length of Romania’s southern border, where the Danube – Europe’s second-longest river – has reached record levels from melting snow and heavy rains. Parts of Ukraine and Bulgaria also have seen heavy flooding.

A woman waits with her two children to be accommodated in army tents after arriving at a newly set up camp outside the village of Chiselet , 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, April 26 2006. Villagers moved into makeshift shelters on higher ground as flood waters advance downstream affecting homes in lower areas after several protection dikes were damaged by flood water from the Danube.

About 148 communities in Romania have been hit by flooding, and more than 15,000 people have been forced to evacuate, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark and Austria have sent aid, including pumps, sand bags, electric generators, disinfectant and motor boats. The United States said last week it would donate $250,000 to help flood victims, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest.

In nearby Spantov, hundreds of villagers sheltered in crowded tents, saying their food stores also were running low and they were without toilets. They were among some 1,800 people evacuated three days ago, but others were staying with relatives or in schools.

“My house has collapsed,” said Maria Andrei, a 71-year-old Spantov resident. “I live now from the mercy of people who have a heart … I don’t think I’ll live to see my house rebuilt.”