Valencian society was organized to provide help to those affected by the storm in the Valencian regions due to the lack of coordination of the Generalitat Valenciana. Thousands of volunteers have been going to the affected municipalities since Wednesday, with a special emphasis on this Friday, November 1, the holiday of All Saints, in the Horta Sud region. Some come to try to carry out cleaning tasks, dressed with brooms and shovels, others carry food and basic necessities in a completely independent and improvised way.
WhatsApp groups and social networks are fuming. The number of people offering help is overwhelming, but in the face of the avalanche of people asking where to go, they barely find an answer. The information is confusing and often counterproductive because it produces saturation in certain areas, which can be dangerous for the volunteers themselves. The same thing happens on the ground, where it is difficult to locate an agent from the Local Police, Civil Guard or Civil Protection who organizes help. Dozens of groups have created their own organizational spaces and seek to put people who need help in contact with those who have available means: unions, neighborhood associations, fallaes and popular entities are dedicating themselves to the collection of food and basic belongings.
“We carry a large tool to clean and move furniture, we go to the south of La Torre following the instructions of Civil Protection to do what is necessary. We are going on an adventure, they have told us to go in and help where we see it is needed,” explains Alejandro Calpe, from València, one of the thousands of volunteers carrying shovels and brushes.
The wave of volunteers on Friday caused the Valencia City Council to carry out traffic cuts and some accesses on the bridges that cross from València to La Torre at mid-morning. The risk of injury is high in a context in which hospitals are close to saturation, prioritizing those injured in the storm. On Thursday, the regional Emergency Secretariat, directed by Emilio Argüeso, stated that it is important for volunteers to communicate with the advanced command post, located in Paiporta, to coordinate help. “Let them come but let them get in touch to organize them,” Argüeso told this newspaper. They can also do so through the telephone numbers enabled by the Generalitat Valenciana. The regional Executive stressed: “Out of deep gratitude for the help that is being provided to the affected populations, we ask that you please not go to these areas because the roads are collapsing and emergency services cannot access.” Emergencies insist that people do not move with vehicles.
While the Generalitat Valenciana demanded that the volume of volunteers cease, the City Councils of Paiporta, Catarroja, Benetússer, Alfafar, Sedaví or Albal cried out for popular support and organized their own volunteers. Not many of the troops have arrived in the municipalities that are on the other side of the Chiva ravine – or Rambla del Poyo – although the deployment of the army and heavy machinery is facilitating the tasks. “The UME or the army have not been seen around here,” says Borja, one of the volunteers. He and his cousin Javier are part of a raid that was organized on Thursday night with a civil guard in the Alfafar-Benetússer area. On Friday morning they gathered nine SUVs that were distributed throughout the municipalities, transporting food, water, medical care and, in response to the requests of local police officers in the area, removing cars with a trailer to clear some roads. There are still hundreds of homes with vehicles blocking the door, and closed garages where more victims are expected to be found.
“There is no police anywhere, the local police are at some roundabouts – on the roads that border the entrances to the municipalities – without walkies because they are out of battery.” The action, he explains, is carried out by “small groups doing what they can.” There are also many tragedy tourists, “people with clean boots”, who spend their time watching, but, in general, it stands out that the majority try to help.
During the afternoon of Thursday, the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, sent a statement in which he called for volunteers on Saturday at 7 in the morning at the Valencia Oceanographic Center to coordinate with the volunteer platform. Many citizens report that the feeling is one of absolute misgovernment, with a lack of constant coordination, as they point out on social networks. “Solidarity is proportional to the lack of coordination,” says Panxo, the singer of Zoo, who has traveled as a volunteer with another group.
Thus, according to the statement, this Saturday, November 2, 2024, the new Volunteer Coordination Center will come into operation on the ground floor of the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, as a reference point for those participating in the response to the emergency caused by the DANA.
To facilitate the safe and coordinated transfer to the affected areas, we have organized 50 buses that will depart from the coordination center starting at 7:00 am, with a capacity of 50 people per vehicle. Each group will have clear instructions and assigned tasks to ensure an effective response in each area. For the safety of volunteers, they must wear: wellies or mountain footwear suitable for muddy conditions; protective gloves (possible hazardous materials in affected areas); face mask; water and food for the day. For any questions or needs, telephone numbers 960737370 or 963312744 are available.
Collection points of the Valencia City Council
The Valencia City Council set up a coordination point in the Plaza de la Iglesia de La Torre for volunteers who come to the place from the urban area, although on Friday morning the Local Police did not allow entry to this area for security reasons. . Both in La Torre, Castellar-Oliveral and in Horno de Alcedo, food and hygiene products are also being distributed to affected people.
The mayor of Valencia María José Catalá has recalled that the services of the entire city “may be diminished given that efforts are being focused on our districts and we apologize and understand. “It is improving but there is still a lot to do.” Adding that “at all our points we serve not only the residents of Valencia but also any of the affected municipalities.”
The City Council reminds and asks all residents: not to use private vehicles; that you do not circulate towards the south area; do not throw furniture and belongings into the street since the collection service is focused on the districts; reduce water consumption and be responsible with its use, at dawn the pressure will be lowered to help; Follow the instructions of the Local Police of Valencia regarding pedestrian access to the Tower since there is heavy machinery working; Local Police instructions can be extended to other parts of the city if necessary to facilitate the work of the emergency services.
Likewise, the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Valencia, in coordination with the City Council, has set up a series of food collection points so that neighbors can make deliveries. All of these food and hygiene products are later collected by municipal trucks to distribute aid to those affected by DANA. These collection points are: AVV Benimaclet. Av. Valladolid, 42 (11am-1pm and 4pm-8pm); AVV La Isla and Consell Joventut de València. C/ L’Alguer, 1; AVV Patraix, Plaça de Patraix, 13B (10am-2.30pm and 5pm-9.30pm); AVV Nou Moles, C/ Alcalde Albors, 22; AVV Natzaret. Falla Major Moraira, C/ Parc (10am-2pm).
In addition, the City Council has also enabled the Petxina Complex for the collection of food from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. At all these points you can deliver water, cold cuts, bread, cans of tuna, personal and household cleaning items, diapers and pads, brooms and rakes. Neither clothes nor blankets are collected.
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