Alex Trelinski
500 MEMBERS of Spain’s Armed Forces are assisting in flood rescue efforts in Valencia province as of Friday, according to Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, who pledged an ‘unlimited’ number are available.
That’s in addition to 1,205 personnel from the Military Emergency Unit(UME) who have been working in the disaster area since Tuesday.
“The Army has been there from day one and it will continue to be,” said Robles in an interview with state broadcaster TVE.
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She admitted that the magnitude of the catastrophe caused by the DANA is still difficult to calculate because ‘there are places where there are vehicles that are on top of each other, with people, families, who may be inside’.
Robles stressed that ‘everything that can be done and will continue to be done’ and stressed that since Friday morning, 500 more military personnel have joined the work carried out by the UME.
The minister said the government is going to ‘incorporate all those that are necessary according to needs’ and ‘where necessary, without any type of number limits’.
“Today the absolute and total commitment is that they will be in all the affected areas with all the power that the Army has, with the 120,000 men and women if necessary, and with all the material means,” she added.
She pledged that ‘tomorrow’ there will be ‘as many as necessary, and for as long as necessary’.
Robles stated: “The issue is not so much the number of soldiers, but finding out what is needed.”
She welcomed comments made on Thursday by Valencian president, Carlos Mazon, about the ‘importance of the Army’ and wanting its presence.
Work includes from ‘helping to dig up people who may be in basements or on ground floors’ to ‘helping to bail out water in many places’.
There is also clearing roads to allow transport so that food and water can reach certain populations that are ‘absolutely isolated’.
Robles’ remarks ended with a warning: “People should not think that the Army will turn up and everything will be solved because there are locations that are totally impassable.”
