President signs decree on relief and recovery in storm-hit regions

The Belarusian President signed a decree on the disaster recovery effort in the wake of a devastating storm and set a deadline. The president instructed the Energy Ministry to restore power supply of all households by 1 August 2024, to phase out the use of diesel generator sets and reconnect users to the energy grid by 22 August 2024, and to analyze the state of power networks and prepare proposals to improve the reliability of power supply to consumers and populated areas by 31 December 2024. The Forestry Ministry, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Education Ministry, as well as the Belarus President Administration and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus were instructed to complete the work on removing fallen trees and their parts by conducting blank sanitation cutting by 1 November 2024, and selective sanitation cutting and debris removal by 31 December 2024. The order also outlines the deadline for the restoration of facilities in the regions of Belarus. The head of state instructed the regional executive committees to encourage citizens to take part in cleanup operations in their communities.