Flash floods that swept away vehicles, turned town streets into rivers and disrupted railway lines and highways in the eastern region of Valencia, Spain, they killed more than 95 people.
This alarming figure places this natural disaster in third place by number of deaths.
Floods in Spain leave fatal victims
The director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed his condolences to the Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García, for the victims of dana in Spain, during a meeting in Copenhagen.
According to what was reported by the Ministry of Health through his account on X, García met with Tedros in Copenhagen, where he arrived this Wednesday to participate in several meetings within the framework of the 74th session of the Regional Committee for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO-Europe).
In the Danish capital, García participated in the session where the nominations for the organization’s Executive Committee were announced. In addition, he had bilateral meetings with the WHO-Europe team and with Fran Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health of the Kingdom of Belgium.
As in the signing of the Collaboration Strategy between Spain and the WHO-Euro together with the regional director of the WHO in Europe, Hans Kluge.
(EFE)
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**Interview with Dr. Alicia Fernández, Disaster Response Coordinator at WHO**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Fernández. The recent floods in Valencia have resulted in devastating consequences, with over 95 lives lost. Can you provide insights into the scale of this disaster?
**Dr. Fernández:** Thank you for having me. Yes, the floods in Valencia are a tragic reminder of nature’s unpredictability. This incident is now one of the deadliest in Spain’s recent history, coming in third place for fatalities caused by natural disasters in the country. The impact on communities has been profound, with entire streets submerged and critical infrastructure severely disrupted.
**Editor:** The situation has caught international attention. How has the World Health Organization been involved?
**Dr. Fernández:** Well, our Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed condolences to the Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García, recently. It’s a part of our ongoing dialogue to assess and respond to the needs arising from this disaster. Dr. García was attending a WHO-Europe meeting in Copenhagen where she not only discussed the flood’s impact but also the necessity of strengthening health systems to better deal with such emergencies.
**Editor:** That’s an important conversation to have. What kind of support is being offered to affected areas?
**Dr. Fernández:** We are coordinating with local governments to facilitate emergency medical assistance, support for mental health services, and resources for rehabilitation. Continuous assessment of the situation allows us to tailor our response. Moreover, long-term strategies will focus on disaster preparedness to minimize risks from future occurrences.
**Editor:** With climate change altering weather patterns, do you see an increase in the frequency of such natural disasters?
**Dr. Fernández:** Absolutely. Climate change is contributing to more extreme weather events globally, which means we are likely to see an uptick in disasters like floods. This necessitates a paradigm shift in how we build resilience in communities, focusing on preparedness and adaptation.
**Editor:** Thank you, Dr. Fernández, for your insights and efforts to address this tragedy. Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families.
**Dr. Fernández:** Thank you for shedding light on this crucial issue. We must work together to find solutions and prevent further loss of life.
