The Prime Minister also announced an emergency plan of 10.6 billion euros to help the victims.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday November 5 that he had doubled in three days the number of soldiers and police deployed on the ground after the floods which ravaged the south-east of the country. Nearly 15,000 rescuers were sent there. “In the 72 hours since I last spoke (…), the number of soldiers, members of the national police, civil guards, deployed by the Spanish government has increased from 7,300 to 14,898”said Pedro Sánchez during a press conference.
These nearly 15,000 people are also supported by 287 forest guards, around a hundred customs agents and 44 forensic doctors, said Pedro Sánchez, also mentioning “600 specialized vehicles and machines for pumping, cleaning and supplying affected areas».
M. Sánchez explained that «this massive deployment, both human and technical, made it possible to carry out 1,300 rescue operations». «It also supported local authorities, the local population in tasks such as, for example, the removal of vehicles, also rubble, inspection of garages and distributed 95,000 liters of water“, he added. According to the Prime Minister, 98% of affected households were able to recover electricity, and 68% their telephone line. 40 kilometers of road and 74 kilometers of railway tracks have also been repaired, he assured.
A help plan of 10.6 billion euros
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also announced a first emergency plan of 10.6 billion euros to help residents and businesses affected by the floods. “The total investment of all these first measures” will exceed the “10.6 billion euros”declared the socialist leader, unveiling a series of aid for the disaster victims, but also for the local authorities concerned. “It’s a good first step, an agile step”he insisted.
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”detailed Pedro Sánchez. 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.
Urgent expenses
The executive, which officially declared this Tuesday a state of natural disaster in the disaster areas, also committed to taking charge «100%» urgent expenses incurred by municipalities to help their citizens and clear the streets. 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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