Pedro Sánchez has announced that the Council of Ministers will declare the towns devastated by the DANA to be areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that the Council of Ministers will approve the declaration of "areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency" for all towns impacted by the DANA currently ravaging the eastern part of the country. He stated that the government "will provide financial resources" and "facilitate the streamlining of public procurement" to ensure a return to normalcy as quickly as possible. "The government will be involved in the reconstruction", he pledged.

He made these remarks following his visit to the Advanced Command Post in Oliva (Valencia) - one of the areas hardest hit by the DANA - where he met with those in charge of emergency and coordination operations, as well as mayors from the affected towns. Pedro Sánchez was accompanied by the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen; the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; and the Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant. Also present were the Government delegate, Pilar Bernabé, and the President of the Generalitat, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca.

The head of the Executive began by conveying the Government's condolences to the loved ones of the five people who lost their lives as a result of the heavy rain, and thanking all members of the Civil Protection service for their "hard work and spirit of self-sacrifice", noting that they have demonstrated "that cooperation exists, that there is a shared consciousness, and that experience and knowledge are being exchanged across different levels of the State to protect people's lives and safety".

In this regard, the President of the Government of Spain emphasised that "cooperation and unity are essential" in the face of such disasters and pointed out that the events of recent days in the Valencian Community "are an example of how, by standing together and cooperating, the State as a whole can provide an effective response".

State Pact to tackle the climate emergency

Furthermore, during his speech, Pedro Sánchez pointed out that what has happened "has a great deal to do with a climate reality that is exceeding what science warned us about many years ago", and he therefore emphasised the need to reach "a major national agreement in the face of the climate emergency". Such an agreement is "pure common sense" and would "save lives", he said.

And that means - he explained - that "cooperation must also extend to the periods before and after such a civil protection emergency", in order to take action on prevention and adaptation to the climate emergency.

Non official translation