Pope Francis prays for Valencia amid storm 'Dana' devastation
“Let us pray for the people of the Iberian Peninsula, especially for the community in Valencia, which has been devastated by the storm 'Dana,' the name given in Italy to the severe weather that has struck Spain,” declared Pope Francis at the conclusion of the Catholic prayer 'Angelus.'
“May the Lord support those who are suffering and the members of the rescue teams,” added the Pope, also expressing solidarity with the people of Valencia.
The Integrated Coordination Center (CECOPI), which manages the consequences of the floods in Spain, announced on Friday that the death toll in the Valencian Community now stands at 202, raising the total to 205, as reported by El País.
The situation is desperate in the Valencia area, where residents have been left without water and food, while a new storm threatens the region, and authorities have advised people to take shelter. Journalists from Digi24 are currently in Spain, broadcasting live from the areas affected by the catastrophic floods.
A few days after a disaster struck the area, people are slowly trying to clean up and obtain necessities after losing almost everything in the wake of the floodwaters. Many are coming to a church converted into an aid station to stock up on water and food brought by volunteers from areas unaffected by the floods. They wait in line for several minutes for a bottle of water and a bag of food, with many elderly individuals among them, who have no one else to rely on and are doing their best to manage the situation.
In the most severely affected area of Valencia, there has been no electricity for several days. Authorities have sent additional equipment to clear the streets to allow vehicles to deliver supplies to residents affected by the floods and to help people, once evacuated, return to the devastated homes they once called “home.” The flood was so powerful that it displaced vehicles, causing them to crash into each other after being swept away by the floodwaters, transforming entire streets into “car cemeteries.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
