Spanish PM asks EU for help as country suffers aftermath of catastrophic floods

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked support from the European Union to assist Spain recover from what he called “the most serious flooding that our continent has seen so far this century.”

“We are in communication with the European Commission and that we have begun the procedures to request aid from the European Solidarity Fund and the use of other community support resources from the European Union,” Sánchez said during a news conference in Madrid.

The devastating floods so far have claimed the lives of 211 people. Sanchez’s government is expected to approve a ‘state of catastrophe’ on Tuesday, which will allow quick access to financial aid.

“I know that there are severe problems and shortages, that there are still collapsed services, municipalities buried by mud, desperate people looking for their relatives, people who cannot access their homes, homes destroyed and buried by mud.”

Sanchez added that he knows much more needs to be done, “we have to give our all,” he said, “but I also know that we have to do it together.”

Many volunteers took to the streets to help as they felt abandoned by authorities. The Spanish government has also come under fire by some opposition lawmakers and the public as they believe the central government did not warn people in time.

Sanchez directly addressed the critique he received in his speech and admitted that the government’s response fell short, but said there will be time to analyze negligence and reflect on how to improve moving forward.

“There will be time to talk about the importance of public services and their reinforcement in situations we are experiencing as a result of the climate emergency… There will already be time to look back, to clarify responsibilities, to learn in order to be better in the face of these climatic effects that unfortunately are going to accompany us in the future.”

Spain to deploy 10,000 additional troops

Sanchez confirmed that an additional 10,000 troops will be deployed to the hardest-hit eastern province of Valencia, where the damage from the storm resembled that of a tsunami.

The 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 police men will join the 2,000 soldiers, 2,500 Civil Guard gendarmes, and 1,800 police officers who are already at present in the region.

Rescue teams continue their search for missing people, as officials fear more bodies may be trapped in wrecked vehicles and flooded garages. Spanish emergency officials said the majority of the victims were in the eastern region of Valencia, and warn that more rain is expected in the coming days.