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(L-R) Saxony-Anhalt's State Premier Reiner Haseloff, German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz listen to Andre Schroeder, county commissioner (Landrat) of the Mansfeld-Südharz region, as they stand next to the overflowing Helme river in Oberroeblingen, eastern Germany, as they visit a flooded area on January 4, 2024. Days of rain, as well as melting snow have left parts of several German regions, including the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the eastern states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia under water. (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP) (KEYSTONE/AFP/JOHN MACDOUGALL)