Since the beginning of June, unusual flooding has been causing major problems in Northeastern Hungary. Due to constant rain, several swollen streams turned agricultural fields, village streets, courtyards, parks, playgrounds into rivers, lakes and seas. Thousands of people were forced to leave their houses in a hurry, and those who stayed behind faced a shortage of drinking water and food, and no electricity.

Apart from the Government, several non-governmental organizations came to the rescue.

Since the 8th of June, the members of the Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness have been distributing a thousand plate of free food in the flooded area. “People were devastated, saying that the flooding did more damage to their villages than World War II.” – informs Gandharvika Prema Dasi, the coordinator of the Hungarian Food For Life Foundation. “The water took their vegetables, grain harvest, animals, furniture and other belongings, and some of them had their houses collapsed.”

“We wanted to help” – she continues. “Each day we started to cook at 2.30 A.M. at our temple in Budapest, then transported the food to the catastrophy-ridden places by trucks. We distributed hot meal at temporary shelters or in private houses, some of which, in the chest-deep water, we could only approach by boats.”

The efforts of the thirty devotees taking part in the project were greatly appreciated by the local people as well as the Hungarian government.