Von der Leyen met with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and visited a flood-hit region in the country. Slovenian officials have described last week's floods as the worst natural disaster in the country's 32-year history

Two-thirds of the Alpine state's territory was affected and the damage could reach billions of euros (dollars), according to officials

Torrential rains caused rivers to overflow, flooding houses and fields, damaging bridges and roads, cutting off entire villages and leaving thousands without electricity and running water

Experts say extreme weather conditions are partly fuelled by climate change. Parts of Europe have seen record heat and wildfires this summer

At the Vatican, Pope Francis said Wednesday that he was praying for victims of floods in Slovenia and Georgia and offered his thanks to those providing aid