“Get out of the vicinity of the ravine, the water is going down!” the local police of Aldaia shouted yesterday mid-afternoon on the banks of the boulevard. His loud warning overwhelmed volunteers and neighbors who were working to clean up ground zero of this municipality also devastated by DANA. Everyone started running (we started) to get away from the low houses reduced today to a pile of useless furniture piled up in the streets. “Before, at least some pipes protected us, but now we are naked on the edge of the ravine,” laments the mayor, Guillermo Luján. Fortunately, yesterday that shock turned into a scare. But in this municipality that is located just three kilometers from the commercial center of Bonaire they do not have the soul for more troubles. Related News report No The shopping centers, shelters and submerged tombs Helena Cortés Surfaces like Bonaire and MN4 saved many citizens, but they generate fear for the victims who may appear when their parking lots are cleared. “We are abandoned, buried alive and we saw that we were not even visible,” María José laments. His house is on one of those roads that have become impassable due to the accumulation of muddy objects that are taken out of the homes. Not even memories have been able to save. Fortunately, on the day of the flood he was able to take refuge in his attic: «We have survived thanks to our support networks. “I am living with my mother, who has a first floor that has not been destroyed like the patio.” Although this Aldai resident has just had hand surgery, even with the bandage she continues to empty her home: «The health center is unusable. The health point is next to the town hall, but the volunteer doctors who pass by have told me that they have to clean my wound well, but I can’t get around,” he laments. While he chats, several groups of young people pass by the balconies and the most affected houses offering bottled water and food to the neighbors. Chef José Andrés’ NGO, World Central Kitchen, is also in the town distributing ready-made food. «The first two days we felt very alone. People wonder if we get help, but it is mostly from local networks,” laments María José. There, Aldaia is no exception: although there are already firefighters and some soldiers, the neighbors proudly assume that the people save the people. The forgotten ones of Aldaia Arriba, the current state of the ravine. Below, help networks in the Andalusian house (left) and volunteers cleaning (right) Mikel Ponce They know it well in the Andalusian Cultural Association of Aldaia, converted into a crowded reception center for clothing, food and hygiene products where there is almost no They don’t even have time to classify the flood of products they have received. «We are waiting for three more trucks. We also want to take it to the most remote neighborhoods,” says one of the volunteers. Every business in this city of just over 30,000 inhabitants is an improvised help point. At the doors of the least affected pharmacy in town, there is a stall with baby food. Its owner, who has been able to save part of the merchandise, considers himself lucky among his colleagues, although he can neither dispense medicines normally nor get paid. The computers are useless. At least, they have some public lighting again. «We need more» «We have received help but we need more. We need heavy machinery and to remove furniture and belongings from the streets, neighbors are cleaning their houses, but in some places the water still does not have adequate pressure and we cannot even clean,” acknowledges the mayor of Aldaia. Although at the moment there are officially six deaths in the municipality, Luján is cautious about what may happen in Bonaire. «There is a lot of uncertainty about that parking. “We have to be very cautious because it is a very hard and very sensitive issue,” he says. For this reason, he does not even dare to give a number of missing people. “I just want to reiterate that we will need help and not just now, because we have to start over,” the councilor assumes. Everything is gratitude in Aldaia: “Thank you for putting us on the map,” a neighbor laments to ABC between sobs. Something is wrong when the comfort is only in being heard.
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