The authentic truth about what happened with the disaster caused by nature in Valencereinforced by a succession of inadequate and insufficient political decisions before and after the terrible Danait will still take time to find out.
The story of disaster was repeated. The illustrious naturalist Antonio Jose Cavanilles already in 1775 told something similar to what happened in the Poyo ravine and the chronicler of the city of Valence, Vincent Wooddid the same in 1864 during the flood of the day of St. Charles which overflowed the river Jucar.
An event which, in addition to having caused 221 dead and 5 missing had a total impact on the economic performance of Valence. As announced by the Bank of Spain During recent macroeconomic conferences before the economic press, there was a devastation of the local economy of 78 municipalities which represent 2% of the national economy, which rises to 3% if we talk about industry, with a significant impact of two-tenths of the growth rate of Spain’s gross domestic product.
were asked 7,593 mortgage moratoriums, 29,697 compensations At Insurance Compensation Consortiumwith updated data from 25,000 workers in ERTÉ from 2,273 different companies. THE Dana It directly affected 54 industrial zones and business parks in Valencia, where 6,500 companies are located. The European Space Service Copernicus It indicated 4,100 hectares of affected area, 3,906 buildings, 15.6 km of railway tracks and 531.6 km of roads affected.
We still need to spend some time in deep, detailed analysis to think about what happened. How to prevent this from happening again and prepare for economic reconstruction.
Only those who experienced it personally know what really happened, which does not coincide with what the majority of media have told us in a less dramatic way. Only those who have been there to help also know how much remains to be done on time and on budget. It’s much more than you think from the comfortable offices where many decisions that affect the company are made. reconstruction. In a way we experienced a certain already seen with what happened during pandemic regarding the information that reached our homes.
The known Planet Prize 2018, Santiago Posteguilloone of my reference authors on Romepreviously told during his conference on Hispania in the Senate, how Dana suffered from her apartment just 50 meters from the ravine of Paiporta. In just 13 minutes, he found himself facing a brutal torrent of water that swept away everything uncontrolled, including people for more than 6 hours without stopping. The author ended his detailed story with a brutal final sentence: “no one came for three days.” During this period, he witnessed devastation, destruction, looting of vehicles, businesses and homes, loneliness and institutional abandonment.
It is cruel not to warn, but it is even more cruel not to help with the necessary energy. Moreover, during all this time we have encountered statements by political leaders from different administrations unlucky. Statements lacking empathy and respect for the victims of the disaster, which in the case of the autonomous administration have already led to the dismissal of those involved.
THE empathy It is a person’s ability to understand the emotions and feelings of others when they are desperate. In this case, these are people who have lost everything. It’s putting yourself in the victim’s place and trying to help and comfort them. Often this includes public silence and comfort necessary to help navigate duel human and material losses.
In absolute contrast, this empathy, this sacrifice and this unconditional humanity emanate in an exemplary way from the thousands of volunteers who, from the first moment and coming from all areas of our geography, including Portugal, France, Morocco, Italy, Holland They joined in rescue, cleanup and recovery efforts. An army of people with buckets, brooms, picks and shovels who arrived even before the army itself, initially deployed in insufficient numbers compared to the scale of the ecological disaster.
Which once again disturbed some representatives of the public administration, reiterating public statements lacking empathy, now with the volunteers who offered their availability and their resources in a manner disinterested.
This spontaneous action is a great representative of the power of our civil society and the private sector, which must be a key element, together with public resources, for the reconstruction that Valencian society deserves and constitutes a direct warning to political parties that anything that has been happening since what is happening now will be decisive for the political future of governments, and not just of Valencian Community.
We all see ourselves reflected in this drama and we all expect more help and support than we have received so far. Including the assistance that may be offered by the administration itself to process, manage and receive financial aid engaged.
This listening, solidarity and the empathy of the volunteers, we also perceived it from the side Royal House in the various visits carried out. We see this in many companies who also channel help from their own employees who show their most human side to help either by spreading support opportunities or directly with their assets, time or economic funds.
In this sense, human greatness and that of many companies is a reality that, although they have no obligation, do so out of solidarity and empathy, and this news reconciles us with the human race after having seen the worst during the first days of the disaster. .
Serving as concrete examples that the businessman founder of Inditex, Amancio Ortegacreated a fund of 100 million for the municipalities affected by dana. THE Foundation the real Madrid launched a collection of more than 2.3 million euros for the Red Cross. CaixaBank with Microbank launched an extraordinary financing line of more than 2.5 billion euros to support affected businesses.
Repsol made available to the Spanish Emergency Coordination Center the resources of industrial complexes in Tarragona, Puertollano And Cartagena. He English court provided food and basic necessities.
The professional services company HEYfirstly provided blankets, sleeping bags and items for children and babies. the annual solidarity euro project in force since 2010, through which the company contributes the same amount as its employees contribute to a cause, this year it will go to the victims through the Casa Caridad of Valencia. Phone reestablished connections and provided volunteers.
The businessman Roig of Mercadona launched the initiative Alcem-se with a budget of 25 million euros to help SMEs, businesses, start-ups and self-employed people affected by the Dana. The cooperative consumption It has coordinated humanitarian aid and collaborated in the provision of food and basic necessities to affected people in affected municipalities where it has stores. The construction area of FCC It collaborates in the reconstruction and provides generators to facilitate the supply of electricity where there is still no electricity.
FCC Construction is working to rebuild two existing damaged bridges in the CV-33 (intersection of Rambla del Poyo with Pincaña). Naturgy offers the possibility of deferring electricity, gas and utility bills to affected households, SMEs and self-employed people.
Listening, empathy and corporate solidarity They constitute a key element in the reconstruction of Valence and all public authorities concerned have the responsibility and obligation to continue to facilitate and channel it to accelerate all processes that will contribute to solving the great challenges that affect us all as a nation.
Emphatia is clavis ad reconstructionem
Jose Luis Morenoeconomist, was director of Economy in the Community of Madrid and at Madrid City Hall. Economic and commercial analyst.
