Navy ship “Galicia” arrives in Valencia with 104 infantrymen to help those affected by DANA

Six days after the devastating floods of DANA In Valence, the amphibious assault ship (BAA) of the Navy “Galicia” arrived this Monday, at 8 a.m., at the port of Valencia to act in the affected municipalities, among which in total there were at least 210 dead.

The ship docked at the port’s cruise pier number 1 with more than 300 sailors on board and has the capabilities of an amphibious ship: hangar and flight deck to operate several helicopters simultaneously, garages to transport a large number of vehicles, a floodable dock to operate with boats and a hospital with two operating rooms and eight intensive care beds.

To act on the ground in Valencia, they embarked 104 sailorsnine all-terrain vehicles, two SH60F personnel transport helicopters capable of night flying, two landing craft, naval beach equipment, a doctor, two nurses and a paramedic.

It will carry out a wide range of tasks to support the population by drawing on its diverse capacities and in coordination with the rest of the resources deployed in the area for this purpose, they reported from Defense.

The arrival of BAA ‘Galicia’ means a increase of just over 300 soldiers who join the thousands of men and women already deployed to fight the effects of the floods, without having a planned return date to Rota.

The BAA has carried out a wide range of humanitarian aid operations during its history: hurricane MITCH in Central America (1998), environmental disaster PRESTIGE (2002), tsunami in Indonesia (2005), operation BALMIS to fight against COVID (2020) and post-earthquake support. in Türkiye (2023).

Volunteer Restrictions

The Valencian Government published this Saturday in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV) the order of Department of Justice and the Interior which “restricts pedestrian traffic and access to people.”

A restriction that continues while the volume of volunteers has decreased significantly in affected areas with the aim of facilitating the work of security forces and organizations.

Concretely, he seeks “guarantee the mobility of all essential and complementary intervention servicesas well as all companies responsible for guaranteeing the provision of basic water, energy and communications services, as well as food distribution, carry out their repair and cleaning, with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing normal use by citizens.”

Notice

The population of the towns devastated by the tragedy claims that this aid has not arrived before and among the inhabitants there is a feeling of abandonment by institutions and administrations.

The images and the situation experienced in Paiporta are a consequence, in part, of the despair of a population that feels “powerless and abandoned to its fate”.

THE Royal Houseaccompanied by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezand the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazonmade an official visit to flood zone 0 where they received a hostile reception and acts of violence against the integrity of those present.