‘Outpouring of solidarity in Spain as anger grows over slow response to floods’

Amidst the shock and trauma in Valencia, the outpouring of solidarity grows every day.

At the museum building in the center of the city, dozens of volunteers lined up to get supplies – buckets, mops, food and water – before boarding buses to areas hit hard by the floods that hit the region earlier this week, killing many. more than 200 people and many are still missing.

Organizers believe 15,000 people showed up this morning alone for the coordinated cleanup, filling what many feel is a vacuum left by authorities.

16-year-old Pedro Francisco waited in line with his parents for four hours, wanting to help.

He says that his friend’s grandfather died because of the floods, but so far he has not been able to retrieve the body.

“We have to do whatever we can,” said Pedro. “It’s terrible to see what happened.”

Also in line was Oscar Martinez with his wife and son.

“I feel angry,” he said. “This was a tragedy that could have been avoided. What was needed was for the state government to give us advance warnings about the floods.”

Anger is a recurring theme in and around Valencia where most of the 211 deaths occurred – and the toll is expected to rise.

Torrential rains started on Monday which caused massive floods in the region, destroyed bridges, cut off communities and left them without water, food and electricity.

Thousands of security and emergency workers are clearing debris and mud and searching for the dead, caught in what the Spanish government has called the second worst flood in Europe.

Amparo Esteve spoke to the BBC on the pedestrian bridge over the Turia River in Valencia.

He was preparing to go to his hometown, Paiporta, as the roads were still closed and he wanted to help his neighbors.

Explaining when the floods hit, he said: “My neighbors told me to run as much as possible.”

“The water was following me, really, really fast.

“I stayed at home for three days without electricity, water, phones, nothing.

“I couldn’t call my mother and tell her that I’m fine. We had no food, no water to drink.”

He also expressed his displeasure with the authorities. “No one is helping us.”

Amparo is now living with his grandparents because he is too afraid to return because of the robbers.

The government of Valencia said the looting was increasing insecurity in the region and warned those responsible would be brought to justice.

Shop owner Emilia, 74, also said she felt abandoned as she thought about the destruction of Picanya, a suburb of Valencia.

“We feel abandoned, there are many people who need help,” he told Reuters news agency, adding that people were throwing away most, if not all, of their household items.

“We can’t even wash our clothes and we can’t even shower.”

In a televised statement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an increase in security forces to aid relief operations.

Sanchez said he was sending another 5,000 soldiers to help with the search and cleanup in addition to the 2,500 already deployed, calling it the largest peacetime operation by the military in Spain.

5,000 police and community guards will also be deployed.

The government said that 4,800 people have been rescued and 30,000 have been helped.

But along with their response, the authorities have also been criticized for the adequacy of flood warning systems.

“I know that the answer is not enough, there are problems and a big shortage… cities are covered in mud, people are desperate to find their relatives… we must improve,” said Sanchez.

Additional reporting by Bethany Bell in Valencia