Storms Spain FAQ

Several regions in Spain have seen heavy rainfall and storms lead to severe flooding in recent days. In some areas in the southeast, as much rain fell in a few days as normally falls in an entire year. The Spanish have called this weather phenomenon DANA or Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos. Valencia was particularly severely affected, but the regions of Andalucía, Castilla la Mancha and Murcia also experienced large amounts of water. In recent days, the region around Barcelona, in the northeastern part of the country, has also been experiencing heavy rains.  

More than 200 people have already died and many more are missing, emergency workers continue to search day and night. Another thousand or so people have been forced to leave their homes and are now staying in temporary shelters. In addition, the material damage is also enormous. Houses and roads have been destroyed and power outages are very frequent, which also complicates relief efforts.  

Currently, it is still raining in several regions, although these rainstorms are less intense than last week's. The death toll currently stands at more than 200 casualties. However, this number could still rise as the search for missing persons continues.   

The Spanish Red Cross is active in the field with more than 100 teams and 1,500 volunteers and staff. Among other things, they provide emergency shelter, first aid, distribution of hot meals and blankets. Furthermore, they provide support in setting up (tele)communication networks, necessary for GSM traffic, Internet, etc.   

The emotional impact of this disaster cannot be underestimated. Many left everything behind, lost loved ones or are still awaiting news of missing friends or relatives. Specialized teams from the Spanish Red Cross provide psychosocial support to those affected in shelters, including tailored to children.  

The Spanish Red Cross immediately swung into action to help victims and has already been able to help 140,000 people. Furthermore, it already opened twenty-three shelters where some 3,500 people found shelter and are also receiving psychosocial support. In addition, more than 66,000 meals and 1,900 blankets were also distributed. Teams from the Spanish Red Cross will also remain active on the ground in the coming days to provide life-saving support to victims and help clear debris. Spanish Red Cross volunteers are providing emergency workers with mouth masks and gloves, and helping to make the streets safe and passable.

Hundreds of Red Cross teams from across Spain were mobilized in recent days, including several first aid teams, ambulances, psychosocial support teams and specialized Emergency Awareness and Information Teams (ESIS) providing information and assistance to affected communities.  
 

The floods have also caused severe damage to drinking water infrastructure, leaving many people without access to potable water. The Spanish Red Cross already distributed 23,000 hygiene kits for this purpose and already installed 17 water distribution points. 

Due to the water, many roads were destroyed or are still full of mud and debris. Power failures or outages hampered further relief efforts. A large region was also affected.  

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is following the situation very closely and is in constant contact with Spanish Red Cross colleagues.

Via the account number BE53 0000 0000 5353 with the mention 'Emergency weather Spain', Belgian Red Cross-Flanders, thanks to your massive support, could already transfer a first tranche of 100.000 EUR. This money can thus already be used this week to finance relief actions. We continue to appeal for support, but emphasize  

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders and the Spanish Red Cross are part of the broader Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Thanks to this network, we are in contact with all Red Cross societies around the world and thus also with the Spanish Red Cross.  

The spontaneous fundraisers are heartwarming, but financial aid is at this stage a more efficient way to help people in Spain from Belgium. Bringing goods by car or truck from our country to Spain not only takes longer than buying them locally, financial aid can also be much more targeted, tailored to the most acute needs in each specific region or village. After all, the situation on the ground remains complex. Many roads are closed and villages remain difficult to reach. The Spanish Red Cross therefore calls on people not to travel to the disaster area from abroad on their own initiative so as not to hinder the emergency services. 

In emergency situations, organizations such as the Red Cross often focus less on receiving in-kind donations (such as clothing, food or other physical goods) and prefer financial donations. There are some important reasons for this:  

1. Efficiency and flexibility: Financial donations allow the Red Cross to respond quickly to the specific needs of affected populations. In-kind donations do not always match what is needed on the ground, and transporting material goods can take time and resources, delaying delivery to people in need.  
2. Local purchasing: Financial support allows the Red Cross to purchase goods locally. This stimulates the local economy, reduces transportation costs and ensures that the right items are available in the right quantities, tailored to the needs of the community.
3. Avoiding surpluses: In-kind donations can sometimes lead to an oversupply of certain items while missing other essential goods. Flexible budgets allow targeted purchases and ensure a balanced and efficient distribution of resources. In addition to this, one must also consider the ecological aspect.
4. Logistics and storage: Collecting and managing in-kind donations requires significant logistics and storage capacity. Donations eliminate the need for large-scale handling, allowing the organization to focus on direct relief and emergency operations. 

You can follow updates about the relief efforts in Spain and other international disasters on the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders website (ADD LINK). You can also stay up to date with the latest news and the impact of your donation through the newsletter or social media channels.

For further questions, please email Rampen.Internationaal@rodekruis.be