Government awards Gold Cross to social services of flood-hit municipalities

The Spanish government has bestowed the Gold Cross of the Order of Civil Solidarity upon the social services of municipalities impacted by the recent devastating floods. This honor recognizes the fundamental, yet often overlooked, role these services play in supporting citizens, particularly during times of crisis.

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The municipal social services perform a fundamental function for citizens that often goes unnoticed or is not valued as it should be.

During the catastrophic floods on October 29, 2024, which claimed 230 lives and ravaged the province of Valencia, social workers were on the front lines. They provided essential assistance, including delivering food to residents with mobility issues, supporting those who lost their homes, visiting isolated individuals, facilitating medical and psychological appointments, and helping with aid applications. Their efforts extended to ensuring basic social interaction for those confined to their homes due to infrastructure failures, like non-functioning elevators.

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It is the recognition of an entire country to those who have been supporting their neighbors when they needed it most, in very difficult conditions, showing the best image of who we are as a society, the best image of the public.

Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda, Pablo Bustinduy, announced the award in Valencia. He stated that the initiative by his ministry is a just recognition of the work and merits demonstrated by social services during the emergency and in the subsequent social and community recovery. Bustinduy emphasized that the Spanish democracy as a whole wishes to acknowledge this difficult, generous, and exemplary labor.

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The Spanish democracy as a whole wants to recognize such a difficult, generous, and exemplary labor.

Speaking at the closing of the state congress "The Care We Want," Bustinduy also addressed the broader implications of climate change. He noted that extreme weather events disproportionately affect populations already facing inequality or social exclusion. The minister stressed the need for a public response to the climate crisis that incorporates a social perspective and considers the varying capacities of individuals to cope with its consequences. The crosses will be formally presented on June 15 at a ceremony at the Ministry.

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All groups already exposed to discrimination and inequality are impacted much more severely by climate catastrophes.