Moroccan Relief Team Completes Historic Valencia Flood Recovery Mission

Wednesday 08 January 2025 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Moroccan Relief Team Completes Historic Valencia Flood Recovery Mission

The Moroccan contingent that provided crucial flood relief assistance to Spain's Valencia province is concluding its two-month mission, marking the end of the largest international aid operation following the devastating DANA storm of October 2024.

Approximately 100 Moroccan workers from various cities including Tangier, Kenitra, Casablanca, Tetouan, and Meknes, dubbed the "Heroes of the Mud" by local media, worked tirelessly to help communities recover from the catastrophic flooding that struck on October 29.

The specialized team, equipped with 30 drainage trucks, focused on clearing blocked sewage systems in the most severely affected areas. Their efforts spanned more than 15 municipalities, including Paiporta, Picanya, Catarroja, and Benetússer, where they cleaned hundreds of flooded garages.

The operation was deployed in two phases, with an initial group of 70 operators and 24 tanker trucks arriving by ferry from Tangier to Motril, followed by a second convoy bringing 13 additional trucks and 35 workers. Colonel Jamaleddin Elmegnouni led the Moroccan team, working alongside Spanish coordinators Gonzalo Sanz, Abdelhay Mohamed, Abselam Abdel Lah, and Esteban Rodríguez.

According to Gonzalo Sanz, coordinator of the Civil Protection Mixed Commission group, the Moroccan operators removed enough mud to fill more than 50 Olympic swimming pools. The team maintained a strict daily schedule, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Alfafar command post, where Colonel Elmegnouni digitally assigned tasks.

Mohammed Alouch, an operator from Rabat, emphasized their dedication, stating, "We came to work and help Spain, not to rest." Initially planned for one month, the mission was extended until January 10 by direct order of King Mohammed VI, operating under the bilateral Civil Protection Agreement signed in Rabat in 1987.

The DANA storm's impact was severe, resulting in 224 casualties in Valencia, damaging 48,003 insured homes out of 130,000 affected properties, and impacting approximately 140,000 vehicles. Despite the Moroccan contingent's departure, Valencia continues to face challenges with numerous flooded garages and thousands of vehicles awaiting removal.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed gratitude for Morocco's assistance through social media, stating, "In these challenging weeks for Spain due to the storm, international and European solidarity has been immense. All of Spain thanks you."