The City Council of Santiago del Teide, located in Tenerife, has accumulated several tonnes of goods donated by residents for those impacted by the Dana de Valencia disaster four months ago. These items, which comprise non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, clothing, nappies, and some small appliances, are currently stored in the basements of the municipal offices of the Local Police and the volunteer firefighters in this town with a population of just over 12,000. This information was reported last Thursday by the SER news network.
The mayor, Emilio Navarro, a senator from the Popular Party and the leader of the party in Tenerife, attempted to explain the situation by mentioning “the issues arising at the port of Valencia” due to “the congestion” resulting from “the substantial volume of goods arriving from across Spain, in response to the overwhelming support offered to the affected citizens, along with the complications triggered by the Dana.”
Similar to numerous municipalities, organisations, and companies across Spain, the Santiago del Teide Council initiated a solidarity drive for non-perishable and essential items for residents affected by the DANA of Valencia in early November last year. Hundreds of locals contributed to the collection, thus demonstrating their empathy for the victims. In Santiago del Teide, the designated locations for this aid, which saw considerable participation from the community, were the City Council and the El Valle supermarket.
There has been no report indicating that other donations collected in the Canary Islands, which also aimed to assist those affected, have encountered the same delays as this municipality in western Tenerife. According to the mayor, it appears to be the only area experiencing the “congestion” at the port of Valencia during the peak of aid reception from across Spain and beyond.
The perishable items that some residents brought to the City Council have been distributed via the Department of Social Services of the Corporation.
