Benidorm has sent 116 trucks with solidarity aid for those affected by the DANA and 473,230 euros from #BenidormTeDaMás campaign

Benidorm City Council has sent up to 116 trucks and vans with solidarity aid to different towns in the province of Valencia to collaborate with those affected by the DANA on October 29 and has deposited into the official #SomSolidaritat account the total of 473,230 euros raised with the solidarity voucher of the #BenidormTeDaMás campaign. The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, has appeared publicly today to make this data known and to demand that the socialist municipal group, in opposition, publicly apologize for raising doubts about the management of all the donations made by citizens and companies and channelled by the City Council to collaborate with all the affected populations.

“Not everything is worth it to try to undermine this government team,” said the mayor during his appearance, after which he censured the attitude of the spokesperson for the socialists, Cristina Escoda: “It is unacceptable to sow doubts out of respect for those affected and also, especially, for the many people who came to Palau d’Esports on the weekend of November 2 and 3 to bring their donations or to work in the volunteer teams, and to those who continue to collaborate in an altruistic way,” he said.

Pérez has detailed and publicly shown all the information relating to the shipments that have been made from Benidorm to the towns that were flooded due to heavy rain, shipments that began on November 2, 2024, a few hours after the collection centre set up in Palau opened its doors, and which have been taking place until January 23, when the last batch of men's clothing left to assist those affected. During this time, a total of 116 trailers, trucks, vans and vehicles have set out with all kinds of material: from basic foodstuffs – some 90,000 litres of water, 35,000 litres of milk, non-perishable food, food for people with food intolerances, for pets, etc. – to personal hygiene products – nappies, pads, tampons, wipes, adult nappies… –, cleaning supplies, clothing, footwear, rain boots, blankets, duvets or items for people with reduced mobility, such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches or canes, among others.

“Responsible and rigorous work has been done in recent times, almost on demand, even delivering specific items to the door of some houses, such as a baby stroller or a walker for an elderly person,” said the mayor, who also revealed that the city “has received congratulations from each of the fourteen reception centres to which the aid has arrived from Benidorm, all classified, separated, clean and on pallets, for how well-organised everything had arrived and for the work so well done.”

Likewise, Toni Pérez has detailed that, in addition to the aid of which only “very little clothing remains to be delivered, waiting for them to be transferred to us because there is demand,” Benidorm “has also collaborated by providing workers and resources.” Among them, up to 158 Local Police officers were sent to the affected towns and workers from public concessionaires such as FCC, Actua and Hidraqua, some of whom have continued working in the area until January. “And to this day, we continue to be available to the towns that require our collaboration, because Benidorm has never stopped collaborating,” said the mayor, who gave as an example the municipal pool of architects that has been made available to towns such as Alfafar.

Finally, the mayor also detailed all the financial contributions that have been made linked to the #BenidormTeDaMás voucher campaign, the total amount of which amounts to 473,230 euros. This amount, like the payment of the vouchers themselves, was approved by the local Government Board in three batches: the first, for an amount of 397,310 euros, was approved on December 23 and paid on the 31st of that same month; the second, for an amount of 41,940 euros, was approved on December 30 and paid on January 16; and the third, which amounted to 33,980 euros, was approved on January 8 and paid on January 20. “All the minutes of these governing meetings in which the payment of these transfers was approved are public and the opposition has access to them with just one click on their computer,” he said, regretting that “the socialist group has had access to all this information from day one, but once again has preferred to sow doubts about it.”

Regarding these financial donations, he clarified that the only amount that remains to be paid is “the 173,780 euros resulting from the contributions derived from the celebration of the Benidorm Fest in Benidorm,” an amount that “will also be transferred in public by the three corporations that organize this event, which are Radio Televisión Española, the Generalitat Valenciana and the Benidorm City Council.”

To conclude, Toni Pérez has reproached that “in the more than 30 information commissions of different scope that we have held in January and February, the councillors of the socialist group have not asked even once about anything related to solidarity or the sending of aid from Benidorm, not once”, after which he has asked them to “abandon populism, because nobody believes them anymore, and to work a little bit more, since that is what they are being paid for” by the City Council.