Prime minister Luís Montenegro made an ‘unscheduled’ trip to Santarém today to visit people who have had to be evacuated from their homes.
As the press posse caught up with him, he showed a marked difference to the way in which he deals with the media – actually crediting them for reaching people that might otherwise be unaware of initiatives being undertaken on their behalf.
The PM also gave a rough estimate of where the country, right now, in terms of damages (already in excess, he believes, of €4 billion) and how to start dealing with them.
“With regard to the restoration of homes, we already have around 450 people who have used the platform to access the support that is available. In terms of farmers, there are already more than 1,200. In terms of companies, there are also around 1,200. We are already talking about financial resources exceeding €350-400 million for all that aid,” he said, confirming that his government will be using “all the financial instruments” it possibly can: “private resources (such as insurance companies) as well as public resources”.
“We will have to have financing capacity, we have the State Budget, we have a reorganisation of available funds, including the PRR (Programme for Recovery and Resilience), and we will also have other funds for which we are applying and for which we are in constant contact with the relevant bodies,” he said, without giving specifics.
Mr Montenegro added that six of the 12 mobile vans announced after last night’s meeting of the Council of Ministers are already in place – as well as 275 Citizen Spaces that are “already open and available to receive people, to help them fill in the online forms, so that they can speed up this procedure”.
“I also take advantage of your work and your collaboration to be able to reach those who are already able to watch television with this information,” he told the news teams that were present. “In this way, or through all other digital platforms, radio, they can know that they can go to the Citizen Spaces, to the Parish Councils.”
Tragically, the death count in the last week has now risen to 13 as two more people have fallen to their deaths in the process of trying to repair leaking roofs. Hundreds more are injured and the number of people rendered homeless is climbing.
As all reports have been showing, the total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the falling of trees and structures, closure of roads/ destruction of roads, inability of schools and transport services to function, the failing of power, water and communications, and vast areas of flooding, are the main material consequences of storms Kristin and Leonardo, which have now been followed by a new depression given the name ‘Marta’.
The centre of the country, Lisbon and the Tejo valley, and the Alentejo regions are the ones coming off worst this far.
The government has extended the situation of calamity until Sunday, February 15 for 68 districts, and brought in a packet of support measures worth up to €2.5 billion. It may well be that the situation of calamity is extended further as the floods are bringing a new danger: landslides. A number have been reported today – and in just one, 23 families were left homeless.
Source material: LUSA
