Editorial: El País

• The brutal flood in Valencia on October 29 left 224 dead, 3 missing, and affected 75 municipalities and more than 400,000 people. It affected 76,143 homes, 137,325 vehicles and 14,200 shops and warehouses, with damage estimated at 3.5 billion euros.
• The Bank of Spain used Hurricane Katrina as a benchmark to assess the economic impact. A total of 2,882 companies have applied for ERTE for over 30,400 workers. The Valencia Chamber of Commerce estimates the total damage at 13 billion euros.
• Aids are being distributed both directly to individuals and credits to companies. 16.6 billion euros have been mobilised, of which 1.1 billion have already been paid.
• The perception of slowness and bureaucracy in the distribution of aid is critical. Constant political disputes also generate citizen frustration.

Conclusion: Government aid is essential for thousands of people affected by the Dana in Valencia to be able to return to a normal life. However, it is crucial to improve the efficiency and speed of such aid and to reduce bureaucracy.

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