Recital (8)

In order to respond to the impact of natural disasters, Member States should be allowed, through dedicated priorities, to provide focused, fast and immediate help to alleviate the negative socio-economic consequences of such disasters. In addition, Member States should be able to support, either within or outside the dedicated priority, temporary measures for people directly affected by natural disasters in the form of food and/or basic material assistance without the obligation to provide accompanying measures. Member States should also, where strictly necessary and justified, provide for short-time work schemes to enable employees and self-employed persons affected by the consequences of natural disasters to retain their jobs without providing active measures, unless those measures are imposed by national law, as well as measures to ensure access to healthcare including for people who are not in imminent socio-economic vulnerability. Therefore, it is appropriate to provide for flexibilities for such temporary measures for a limited period of time under Regulation (EU) 2021/1057.