Residents in US Asheville complain about slow recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene

Many residents in Asheville of southeastern U.S. state of North Carolina were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene and expressed concerns about the government's slow recovery efforts and the difficulties in restoring their life after the disaster.

At least 227 people died as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene since it made landfall in Florida on September 26, according to U.S. news outlets on Saturday.

More than 70 people are still missing in Asheville as of Saturday, and local emergency authorities reported that search and rescue efforts are ongoing. Helene has become the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

After the disaster, local communities, along with organizations from other states, spontaneously organized to provide material assistance to the affected residents in Asheville. The Biden administration declared a major disaster in North Carolina, but federal assistance has yet to arrive, leaving many residents worried about rebuilding their homes.

They said water and power outages have become their biggest challenges.

"Right now, most people are without power, they have no water. And I'm hearing that the water is going to be a month before we have water back up into residents. And there's been very limited cell phone service, also, no internet really anywhere either, so most people can't communicate with one another. Most people can't cook right at home, especially they don't have gas. We're feeding everybody hot meals right now," said Dave Jackson, head of a local NGO.

Additionally, the National Hurricane Center warned that Tropical Storm Milton formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on Saturday local time, with winds expected to strengthen rapidly and reach the western coast of Florida by Tuesday or Wednesday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 35 counties in the state on Saturday.

Residents in US Asheville complain about slow recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene

Residents in US Asheville complain about slow recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene

Rallies have been held in Germany's capital Berlin on Sunday ahead of the one-year anniversary of Israel-Gaza conflict as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations and memorial events are taking place across Europe.

Many protesters are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after almost a year of conflict between Hamas and Israel. In Berlin's Neukoelln district, hundreds are gathering in support of Palestine and against what they are calling a genocide in Gaza.

"We demand an immediate stop of all arms and weapons being delivered to Israel and the continuous impunity Israel receives from Germany and other nations in this world," said Salah Said, a Palestinian German in the rally.

"We do not allow them to deny the rights of Palestinians to stand on the streets and express their rage against this injustice," said Mary Gillian, a Berlin resident.

Security officials in several countries are at a higher stage of alert over possible terror attacks or violent protests. Following the events in Israel on October 7 of last year, a near total ban was placed on pro-Palestinian rallies in Germany. The Neukoelln one has been allowed to go ahead with substantial police presence, but its location has been limited.

Meanwhile at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, hundreds are gathering in support of Israel. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to take part in vigils against anti-Semitism at the Jewish cultural center on Monday evening.

Protests are also taking place across Europe. In the Spanish capitol Madrid, hundreds have staged a flash mob in a call to end military operations in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In Paris, French Jews have gathered to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. The United Kingdom also held memorial events for all the lives lost during the conflict escalations across the Middle East.

Rallies held in Europe ahead of one-year anniversary of Israel-Hamas conflict