The government delegate in Extremadura, José Luis Quintana, visited today in Badajoz the facilities of the Food Bank where he pointed out that we must not forget that solidarity must be adequate and effective, “and for this it is essential that it is an organized solidarity”.
In this regard, he thanked the food and utensil collection initiatives carried out by organizations and institutions in Extremadura, “but an organized action is to know what the real needs are and to work according to the indications of the organizations working in the territory.”
Accompanied by the president of the Food Bank of Badajoz, Cristina Herrera, the government delegate recalled that the important thing “is not only to know the needs, but also to take into account that all these acts of generosity require a logistical organization at the destination with which they are facing some difficulties”. Therefore, the recommendation of the Government Delegation in Extremadura, after the meeting that it coordinated with the Junta de Extremadura, provincial deputies and FEMPEX, is to make financial contributions to meet the demand and needs of those institutions and organizations such as Caritas, Red Cross or Food Bank that are acting on the ground.
Likewise, the government delegate pointed out that the solidarity of the people of Extremadura and Spain cannot be left “in the hands of influencers” who have turned “a humanitarian drama into a show on social networks where they are able to play with the distribution of food and belongings depending on the number of likes they give to their publications”. Therefore, it has demanded, for those groups or institutions that are carrying out campaigns to attract aid and still have material to deliver, that they do so whenever they have closed to whom it is delivered, where it is going to be stored and how it is going to be distributed in the area affected by the floods.
Quintana recalled the aid package that has already been announced by the Government of Spain to combat the effects of DANA in the Valencian Community, Andalusia and Castilla La Mancha, and reiterated the gratitude of the contributions of regional, provincial and local administrations of Extremadura to collaborate in the emerging situation in these areas.