Flood-hit family near San Roque still waiting on promised help while officials remain silent

A family of seven near San Martín del Tesorillo, close to San Roque in Cadiz ProvinceThis year, the city has suffered three floods. The home was under four feet water. All their possessions were destroyed and they couldn’t return for another 11 days.

The promises of repairs and cash have disappeared without a word

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited San Roque During the media storm. Officials promised financial aid, money for repair and assistance for temporary living costs. Completed forms. Each ID is handed in to the town hall. Then… silence. No phone call. No letter. No updates of any kind.

The father of the family said, “We felt that page had been folded and we were forgotten.” “We need to know when and where we can get help ???? “It is with sadness that I feel that all that was front page about what the Town Hall were doing during that time, was a media focus.”

Repairs are being made to roads that were never flooded. Two additional police officers were hired. Help for families that have lost everything is invisible. “Who else received any help?” “Is there any way to find out where all the money went?” He asked.

Charities leftovers and empty accounts compound the pain

The same answer was given to all requests for fridges, washing machines or ovens: they were already gone. A tiny oven for one person was delivered to a family of seven. “You can’t cook a single chicken in it,” said the man.

Each euro, plus a small donation, was spent on temporary accommodations and private crews that cleaned up the sludge. Utility bills for a house without water and power continued to arrive. “We’re still broken because of the damage the floods have caused us”, he said.

He believes that the property was never meant to be sold as a house. According to him, the house was illegally built in an area known for flooding. The local government had allowed it on the market. Permissions granted which never should have.

This is the typical Spanish story. Homes that are built in potential flooding plains and were often intended to be used for agriculture on county hills remain vulnerable during heavy storms. Many homes were quietly approved as safe housing without the necessary safety studies. Even though laws have improved over the past few years, these properties are still on the market. One house was advertised as a safe place to live when it was clearly not. Who is left to pay the bill?

Official help is missing, and the next winter will be here before we know it

Repairs are not completed. A family of seven including a disabled child and a newborn baby faces awaiting another rainy period with nothing to lose. The family said, “We want to make sure that our voices are heard by all those who have lost everything because of families and children with disabilities and babies and not avocado fields or agricultural owners.”