A week after the DANA hit different towns in the south and east of the Spanish region of Valencia, the search and rescue work for the missing, as well as the clean-up, continues to develop little by little.

The testimonies of those who have lost loved ones, or of those who have prodigiously saved their lives, are now followed by those of people who are working on the ground, providing all kinds of help.

In the face of destruction of this magnitude, all help is needed. From coordinating the reception and shipment of food and basic goods to distributing them.

Whether with a broom or a camera in hand, everything adds up to alleviate the devastating effects of the storm, which has so far left 219 dead and 93 missing.

“Long working days have barely begun”

Even after the arrival of the Military Emergency Unit, firefighters and Civil Guard, the feeling is that progress is slow and that the promised aid is still not arriving.

“The situation in the affected area is still quite complicated a week after the disaster. The long days of searching for victims, removing cars, belongings and all kinds of debris that were swept away by the floods have barely begun”, Juan Carlos Argandoña explained to Spanish news website Protestante Digital.

He serves in the Valentia Christian Community in Alboraia, coordinating the requests that come in from affected people and looking for the most urgent and necessary resources to prepare the packages that are then sent to the affected families.

“It is not only about delivering the necessary material aid, but also about listening, accompanying, consoling and transmitting a message of hope”, he says.

Argandoño points out that “there are still houses, garages, commercial premises and businesses badly affected, but the saddest part of this tragedy is how thousands of people have suffered the loss of family members, friends, neighbours and work colleagues, leaving them in great pain and helplessness”.

“Situations like these show us how fragile we are and that, in a matter of minutes, all the false strengths on which people's lives are built can collapse”, he adds.

Argandoño claims that “it is in situations like these that the church of Christ must make a difference. The message of the Gospel can fill the voids and ease the pain of all kinds of losses. Christians are called to comfort in the same way we have been comforted and called to love in the same way we are loved by God”.

“The Gospel tells us about the faithfulness of God who, in the person of Jesus, reconciles us to the Father and strengthens us in Him precisely in the moments of greatest vulnerability”, he adds, while asking for prayers “for the affected families”.

“Uncertainty about the future increases the pain”

The tragedy, says José Mesa, who is in charge of food distribution in an evangelical church in Valencia city to families in need throughout the year, “has left countless families devastated, with many homes and personal and material goods lost in a matter of minutes due to the heavy rains and flooding”.

“In those towns there is a deep sense of despair and sadness and the picture is devastating, as well as the uncertainty about the future that increases the pain of those who have lost so much, generating a mixture of helplessness and hopelessness”, he says.

Mesa, who has friends who have lost loved ones in the floods, is now working to distribute food, water and safety equipment, as well as cleaning up the affected area.

He is also coordinating the organisation of the logistics centre that has been set up in his church building, where aid is being received and distributed.

“I feel a lot of sadness and uncertainty about everything that has happened. This combination of tragedy and unmet basic needs is making their situation even more desperate and painful and makes me feel helpless”, he underlines.

For Mesa, “the gospel without helping others is inconceivable, especially in such critical times as these, when so many people need support and comfort”.

“The gospel brings a message of hope, love and comfort. In times like this, it assures us that God is at our side in our trials and will not leave us alone. It invites us to trust that He holds us firmly, accompanying us every step of the way, and that His love gives us strength even in the most difficult moments”, he stresses.

Being on the front line

The fatigue of long days walking through mud and debris is also evident among the volunteers and workers displaced to the area most affected by the DANA.

Nicky Zeballos, who works for a television station and is covering the events of the disaster in Valencia, “in situations like this there is a lot of media deployment and permanent coverage with long bulletins or special programming. Being on the front line practically since it started is physically and emotionally exhausting, but it is not comparable to what the people affected are going through, who have lost family, or are struggling to find their loved ones or save what little they have left”.

Zeballos points out that “sometimes we are well received and sometimes we are rebuked and insulted. Sometimes desperate people come to us with photographs of disappeared relatives to see if we can help spread the word. Other times we have to pay the price when pain and anger cloud our reason and those responsible are out of reach.

“We try to help by making the situation visible and offering truth and objectivity”, he added.

On a personal level, he says he feels “impotence when contemplating the pain”, but at the same time he says that “it is overwhelming to see so much solidarity and compassion from the volunteers who go to help as best they can”.