OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gives a press conference in Madrid, November 5, 2024.
SPAIN – A first step to calm anger. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced this Tuesday, November 5, a first emergency plan to help residents and businesses affected by the historic and deadly floods that ravaged the southeast of the country. This announcement comes as residents of the Valencia region, the most affected by bad weather, accuse local authorities and the government of having abandoned them to their fate in recent days.
The socialist leader unveiled a series of aid following the Council of Ministers, specifying that “the total investment of all these first measures” will exceed the “10.6 billion euros”. This package includes direct aid as well as tax relief for businesses and individuals. This aid will benefit “65,000 self-employed workers” and approximately “30,000 companies”.
The Prime Minister also announced a credit line of five billion euros for SMEs, self-employed workers and families, based on a model “very similar to what was done during the pandemic”according to the head of government.
The executive, which officially declared a state of natural disaster in the disaster areas on Tuesday, also committed to taking charge « 100 % » urgent expenses incurred by municipalities to help their citizens and clear the streets.
Ensuring the region's future in the face of climate change
Beyond these emergency measures, Pedro Sánchez assured that the government was working on a long-term plan for the region, including a « reconstruction » affected areas, but also a plan for « transformation »judge ” necessary “ to adapt the region to “the climate emergency”.
The authorities have not yet given an overall figure on the cost of this disaster. But all economic players say they expect an astronomical bill.
Monday evening, the president of the Valencia Chamber of Commerce, José Vicente Morata, assured that the impact for businesses in the region would be “well over 10 billion euros”. The Ministry of Transport estimated, following a meeting with stakeholders in the field, at 2.6 billion euros. “necessary investments” to restore the transport network – an assessment ” provisional “he clarified.
“We are going to face the most important disaster ever known in Spain for a climatic disaster”insisted the president of the federation of insurers Unespa, Mirenchu del Valle. The human toll from the bad weather amounts to 218 deaths.
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