Early on Saturday morning, nine emergency and civil protection vehicles left Orihuela for Valencia, together with the Councillor for Emergencies, Víctor Valverde, as well as a City Council truck loaded with essential aid. This shipment includes cleaning tools and utensils, such as buckets, wheelbarrows, mops, brooms, metal dustpans, rubbish bags and gloves, as well as cleaning products such as bleach and detergent.
Basic necessities such as baby wipes, personal hygiene products, razors, shower gels and industrial toilet paper have also been donated.
The contingent will meet up with 50 officers from the Orihuela Local Police whose agents have been in Paiporta, Algemesí, Albal and Cheste since early on Friday morning.
The main mission of the Orihuela Local Police officers is to regulate traffic in the most affected areas, since roads must be diverted where they are working; the prevention of looting in shops and homes, where, at the time of writing, over 100 arrests have been made, and also the distribution of supplies to remote areas which the Local Police all-terrain vehicles can reach.
ORIHUELA POLICE WELL PREPARED
The Superintendent of the Orihuela Local Police, Rubén Selma, explained that “we have already experienced the devastation and difficulties that this type of disaster brings and s such we are more prepared to face this type of problem. The agents not only carry their essential police equipment but also their own provisions so as not to be a burden to the authorities in the affected areas. We are going to help, that is our mission, to help and strengthen, not to add to the difficulties.”
The Local Police of Guardamar del Segura, Almoradí and Pilar de la Horadada have also joined the rescue efforts with a team of 14 agents from Guardamar del Segura, equipped with rescue material and food, deployed to the Advanced Command Post (PMA) in Picanya, together with personnel from other municipalities.
The Local Police of Almoradí has sent a patrol to Paiporta to join the operation and four agents from Pilar de la Horadada have joined the emergency unit operation, while Ambumar Sya have provided an Asistencial ambulance, an unassisted ambulance, a VIR vehicle; in addition to human resources: 5 Emergency Health Technicians (TES) and a DUE with a Diploma in Nursing.
Almoradí Local Police officers also moved to the town of Paiporta, in the province of Valencia, on Friday, to collaborate in one of the most affected municipalities.
Meanwhile the support of members from the Local Police and Civil Protection of Torrevieja is centred in the municipality of Montcada where they are assisting with rescue and recovery work.
TRAVELLING BY BUS
Around 40 people left Orihuela on Saturday to join the volunteering and cleaning tasks in the areas of the province of Valencia most affected by the DANA. Thirty-six people, from different points of the province, left on a bus, donated by Bus Sigüenza, with the aim of offering help in the cleaning tasks. In addition to cleaning supplies, they also carried warm clothing, non-perishable food and drinking water on the bus.
A further contingent of Civil Protection left on Sunday, with bilge pumps, a generator and personnel specialised in laying hoses and managing accumulated water. There was also a bus load of volunteers from Orihuela to Valencia who will carry out cleaning work.
A bus load of volunteers also left Dolores on Sunday morning to carry out essential tasks such as food distribution, support in cleaning tasks and basic assistance.
In addition, three vans with cleaning supplies, drinking water and non-perishable food were chartered by the Orihuela district of Molins, and sent, full of materials donated by various neighbourhood associations and individuals.
LOCAL COLLECTIONS
While the authorities and working volunteers travel north to Valencia to help wherever they can and organisations like Real Madrid donate huge sums of money to kick start a joint fundraising campaign initiated by the Real Madrid Foundation and the Red Cross, the people, businesses and organisations of the Vega Baja were also quick to rally round with their offers of support.
Although not quite on the same scale it is just as, if not more important, to those poor people who are currently suffering from the loss of their families, their homes or their livelihoods, because it is almost immediate.
Organisations large and small rallied round with Castillo Trans Delivery Point Central storage in Benejúzar, being one of the first, offering it’s facility for the storage of donations and it’s vehicle for their subsequent shipment to the affected areas.
The Oasis Bar in San Luis was a bar that put out an early appeal along with The Helping Hands Clothing and Food Bank and the Unity Bar in El Chaparral which quickly rounded up 24 bags of clothing, toiletries and food along with €235 in donations.
One individual, David Longworth, simply parked up his car in the Mercadona car park in San Luis, where he too set about collecting donations for the Valencia flood victims. As soon as his car was full, he put it into gear and drove off north.
Torrevieja Council was quick to open up the Municipal Leisure Centre (CMO), as a drop off point situated just behind CARREFOUR, manned by, amongst others, members of The Torry Army. Torrevieja is also accepting donations at the Plaza de la Constitución in the town centre.
The Orihuela Costa Fiesta Commission set themselves up in front of Primark, in La Zenia Boulevard where they will remain, between 10am and 9pm, for the coming days. They are currently asking for volunteers to help receive the donations.
The Bushwacka in Cabo Roig were collecting donations all weekend asking for anyone attending any of their events to contribute whatever they could.
The Laundry shop in Playa Flamenca set it self up as a -drop off- point as did The Royal Oak, which has since moved as least one consignment to the Castillo Trans Delivery Point Central storage in Benejúzar.
KEEP THE DONATIONS COMING
The donations also keep coming into the Hens Teeth in Villamartin but they say that more is still required. With the help of Andy they made two trips to Benejúzar on Friday and they would like to say a big thankyou to Emilio who picked up a big load and has since taken it to Valencia only to return to pick up more for another trip to Valencia which he made on Saturday.
Big thanks to Andy who contacted us last night to help out and donated and helped us do another two trips to Benejúzar today. Incredible effort from all involved giving up their time!
The Big Reds Animal Association has been busy collecting items which they will take north before returning with 12 rescue cats and dogs that they will accommodate in their shelter.
There are further collection points at Dolores Town Hall, the Lower floor in Habaneras shopping centre, Cwtch Tea Rooms and The Card Shop Punta Marina and in Rojales the Council has a designated drop off point at the indoor market by the town hall in Rojales.
Further collection points are being manned in Punjabi Paradise 2 Quesada and in The Club Quesada.
