Cáritas Tenerife continues to accompany nearly 3,000 people a year after the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano

This Monday, September 19, is one year since the volcanic eruption of the “Tajogaite” on La Palma. A natural tragedy that affected more than 7,000 people and destroyed more than 2,600 buildings and almost 100 kilometers of roads. Since the beginning of the eruptive process, the Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife launched a Crisis Cabinet and an Emergency and Solidarity Campaign with the Island, which included a series of urgent actions and the planning of medium and long-term actions.

A year after that date, and despite the eruption itself ending on December 25, Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife continues to care for and accompany those affected, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihoods. Specifically, to date there have been more than 2,600 services and 1,100 families and 3,000 people (including 620 minors) have already received some form of help from the institution, thanks to the contributions received in the context of the aforementioned Emergency and Campaign Solidarity with the island.

Many of these families are assisted periodically and continue to be accompanied by the institute, while others have participated for the first time due to lack of response from public administrations, or due to insufficient aid received.

Six parish spaces

With the donations received (6.6 million euros), the Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife has invested 2 million euros, mainly in rental aid, basic care and renovations and the purchase of furniture for families affected by the eruption and in a vulnerable situation. In the same way, emergency aid continues to be provided (including medical expenses, payments for supplies, etc.) and six parish spaces have been set up and renovated in different municipalities on the island, implementing reforms of masonry, painting, equipment, furniture, etc. Eight families who were in a situation of extreme residential exclusion continue to be relocated within them. With these families there is a continuous process of social intervention to improve their well-being and their social and work inclusion.

A support line was also opened for the most vulnerable families, with economic impotence, for the reconstruction of houses in the areas affected by the volcano, in cases where the houses are not in habitable conditions and need to be reformed. In addition, support to the affected families continues in the construction of new regular homes, both in the purchase of materials and in the procedures necessary for habitability, economic support that is granted per family unit.

On the subject of Housing, the ecclesial body continues to plan and implement medium and long-term actions, including the granting of economic aid to support household goods, furniture and household appliances affected by the lava flows of the “Tajogaite” volcano. they are still in adequate habitability conditions.

In the same way, the response to the needs of the emergency continues, offering economic support to the people affected by the eruption, through food cards and solidarity bank cards, in order to cover basic expenses such as gasoline, medicines, etc. Furthermore, during the first months of the eruption, FFP3 masks and protective goggles were delivered to educational centers and institutes in the Valle de Aridane region.

Support in rural areas

Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife continues to work in coordination with the work teams that accompany the families hospitalized in the hotels that have been set up, being Cáritas one of the entities that, nine months after the end of the eruption, continues to respond to the specific needs of these people, so that they can return to their usual residence. The agency is also providing employment support to those affected in rural areas, as in most cases they have lost their tools and means to recover their farms.

We therefore continue to work at work, addressing the unemployed or ERTE, to offer them an orientation and support service during the process of reintegration into employment.

All these actions have been joined in the last year by both the Daughters of Charity religious and the Congregation of Camillian Religious, which offers emotional support and psychological guidance to those affected by the eruption. It is a service of the Center for the Humanization of Health, created by this Order, whose purpose is to help people who are going through a situation of suffering or crisis in their life (pain, people with a sick family member, loneliness, other difficult situations …). This initiative was coordinated and promoted by the Health Pastoral Office of the Diocese of Nivariense and by the Caritas Diocesana de Tenerife.

At the same time, during the last year various awareness and responsibility actions have been carried out in schools, companies, religious congregations, parishes, foundations, etc., advertising the actions that the institution is developing with those affected. In short, we continue to add our efforts and resources to those of the social agents and institutions present in the affected areas and throughout the island, sharing with them the commitment and solidarity that moves us as a Church.

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