During the meeting, the manager of Mental Health La Palma, María de la Paz Magdalena, stressed that “although we have managed to overcome the lava volcano, now we have to face the volcano of emotions”, referring to the psychological, social and community consequences that many people affected by the catastrophe still carry. The Commissioner reaffirmed his commitment to continue collaborating with the social entities of the island, convinced that “the full recovery of La Palma involves not only rebuilding infrastructure and housing, but also addressing the invisible wounds left by the eruption and strengthening the emotional well-being of the population.”
Izquierdo took the opportunity to highlight the response deployed by the State in terms of mental health from the first moments of the eruption. Among them, he recalled the immediate psychological care provided to evacuees and affected persons, the specialized intervention of the Emergency Psychologists Unit of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), as well as the implementation of new assistance resources financed by the Ministry of Health as the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Night Unit of San Andrés y Sauces.