Top Stories
Volunteers bring ray of light to Spanish towns shattered by floods
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 1, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 1, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
By Nacho Doce and Eva Manez
PAIPORTA, Spain (Reuters) – Some came armed with mops and buckets, pick-axes or shovels, others carried bottles of drinking water and bags of food.
Thousands of volunteers of all ages, walks of life and different nationalities showed up on Friday in Spain’s eastern Valencia region to help with clean-up efforts after catastrophic floods that have killed at least 205 people.
“To Paiporta, to help,” answered a group of young men, walking briskly, when asked where they were headed, referring to one of the hardest-hit suburbs of the regional capital, Spain’s third-biggest city.
“Wherever help is needed,” one of the men added.
The show of solidarity was a bright spot amid the devastation caused by this week’s floods, the deadliest weather disaster to hit the country in modern history.
The floods have battered Valencia’s infrastructure, sweeping away bridges, roads and rail tracks, and submerged farmland in a region that produces about two-thirds of Spain’s citrus crops like oranges, which the country exports globally.
Interior designer Nuria came from a distant suburb of the town of L’Eliana to help “with hard work and whatever I can do and with all my heart”, she said.
Bart, a Dutchman who also lives in L’Eliana, said he had been touched by the solidarity shown by the many volunteers.
“It’s amazing – thousands of people coming from Valencia, like a big corridor of people helping the victims of this incredible disaster,” he said, as he headed to help.
Food brought by some volunteers was in hot demand.
“Nothing can come through, no food, nothing. The only thing that comes are the rescue trucks that can maybe bring a bit of food, but you need to walk 15-20 km (9-12 miles) to buy some bread,” said Rafael Lopez, 59, who lives in a neighbourhood next to Paiporta.
Reme Montero, 59, said she wanted to help clean ground floor flats that had been flooded.
“The disaster motivated me to come,” she said. “I’ll do whatever they tell me to do.”
By Friday afternoon, regional authorities thanked the volunteers profoundly in a post on X, but asked people to keep out of the worst-affected areas, saying large crowds of volunteers could complicate access for the emergency services.
(Reporting by Nacho Doce, Eva Manez, David Latona; Writing by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Charlie Devereux and Helen Popper)
Humanitarian aid refers to the assistance provided to people in need, especially during crises such as natural disasters, wars, or famines, aiming to save lives and alleviate suffering.
Disaster management involves the planning and coordination of efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of disasters, ensuring community safety and resilience.
Charitable projects are initiatives aimed at providing support, resources, or services to benefit those in need, often funded by donations or volunteer efforts to improve community welfare.
Community engagement is the process of involving individuals and groups in decision-making and activities that affect their community, fostering collaboration and enhancing social cohesion.
A financial crisis is a situation in which the value of financial institutions or assets drops significantly, leading to widespread economic instability, loss of confidence, and potential bankruptcies.
Explore more articles in the Top Stories category
