The aid announced by Pedro Sánchez reinforces a first package of 10,600 million euros approved by the Government of Spain last week to respond to immediate needs caused by the floods in the affected areas, as well as to support populations that have lost assets or jobs and finance reconstruction of homes, infrastructure and companies, among other aspects.

The support announced today also covers the agricultural sector, despite the fact that the floods, in which more than 220 people died, particularly affected urban areas in the province of Valencia, in eastern Spain.

According to the Valencian Farmers Association, the storm and floods of October 29 had "catastrophic dimensions" and caused losses of more than €1 billion in the sector in the region, as they affected plantations, infrastructure, machinery, livestock farms and nurseries.

Sánchez, who was speaking in Madrid after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, revealed that the aid will also cover the cultural sector, given the destruction caused by floods in libraries, bookstores or centers of cultural activities.

In addition to this aid, the Prime Minister announced 500 million euros for a "specific action plan against sludge", as there are streets that continue to have mud and dirt and it is necessary to unblock, clean and repair the networks "as soon as possible" of basic sanitation and water supply and treatment, removing "thousands of tons of mud and rubble".

This morning, the regional government of the Valencian Community asked the rest of the country for resources to free the sanitation network from silt and water and avoid "serious public health problems".

The president of the Valencian government, Carlos Mazón (Popular Party, right), said that the region needs "trucks to unclog the sanitation network to avoid serious public health problems" and that he asked the largest employers' confederation in Spain (CEOE) for help, and other autonomous communities.

Mazón, as he has done in recent days, once again complained about Spain's central government, led by the socialists, assuring that he has been asking Madrid for these trucks for three days and "they haven't arrived."

The storm and floods of October 29 left at least 222 people dead in southeast Spain, 214 of which were in the Valencian Community.

"The objective of the Government of Spain is for the municipalities affected by this terrible tragedy to recover as soon as possible and to have infrastructures that are more resilient to climate change", said Pedro Sánchez today.