After the terrible DANA suffered in the Levante of our country on October 29, with serious consequences in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, but where the Valencian Community and, in particular, the province of Valencia has suffered particularly significant personal and material damage, from the Government Delegation in Madrid we offered the Federation of Municipalities of Madrid our collaboration to facilitate the storage, classification and distribution of donations that were being received en masse in the municipalities of our region, fruit of the enormous solidarity of the people of Madrid. In this way, both entities reached a collaboration agreement for the management and channeling of donations that meant and is signifying an important deployment.
The device for storage, classification and distribution, activated since 1 November, has involved the opening of a total of 8 storage spaces (currently operating 5) and the reception of more than 13,000 pallets of different material with the work of hundreds of people belonging to different bodies of the General Administration of the State. This huge amount of donations has meant the development of a logistical and coordination system between administrations that has proven to be versatile and effective. All the material received has been repalletized and classified for proper treatment by the emergency services, thereby optimizing our response capacity.
Since Sunday, November 5, material transfers have been made to the Valencian Community, always coordinated with the emergency services established in the territory and in charge of efficiently organizing the arrival of aid from all over the country. This “on demand” shipment has meant supplying the material that was needed without wasting donations or blocking the supply networks and collection points with material that would not be used by the emergency services or the population.
To date, thanks to the selfless collaboration of different companies and institutions, almost 3,000 pallets have been sent to Valencia.
Currently, material transfers continue daily to Valencia, always based on a demand that is already very limited and that has been null and void for many days, with the express indication of not overflowing the storage and distribution networks at destination, already collapsed, as indicated by the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and the Generalitat Valenciana.
Since some of the stored and currently undemanded material is perishable food, the Government Delegation in Madrid and the Federation of Municipalities of Madrid have agreed to donate it to different social entities that are in need of this type of products.
Currently, work is being carried out with the Food Bank, Caritas, Red Cross, Zero Hunger and other social entities, to which 1,500 pallets of perishable food products have been transferred to date. To them will be added the remaining 1,000 pallets of this type of products that will be sent before Christmas, always in delivery terms agreed with the associations.
This means that 53% of the aid received has already been remitted, excluding clothing and water, products not demanded from Valencia.
Of course, we will continue to send to Valencia everything requested from there, but it is our responsibility to ensure that the generous solidarity of the people of Madrid is not spoiled, making it possible for it to be exploited by people in vulnerable situations who undoubtedly need it.
This situation has been continuously reported to the Federation of Municipalities of Madrid and, in the same sense, last week a letter was sent to all mayors of the region.
Given the information issued in the last few hours, we conclude the communiqué pointing out that the Delegation of the Government of Spain in Madrid will not participate in the attempt of some to take political advantage using the pain and emergency of the Valencian people and the solidarity of the people of Madrid.