The network of associations affected by the DANA receives 1.5 million euros through the Fundació Horta Sud

March 28, 2025 – Five months after the DANA that devastated l’Horta Sud and other Valencian counties, the affected municipalities continue working to recover their neighborhoods, businesses, and leisure spaces. In this long and complex process, the associative movement becomes a key player, not only because of its ability to rebuild and transform collectively but also for its unifying and cohesive role in the territory.

For this reason, the Fundació Horta Sud launched shortly after the catastrophe the 2024–2028 Recovery and Transformation Plan, with a projected economic endowment of approximately 5.2 million euros, to support all affected associations. This initiative aims to mitigate material damage through direct aid and to promote sustainable and resilient reconstruction in the region.

In the first phase, which is now concluding, 1,382,134 € in direct aid has been granted to 333 associations from over 20 municipalities across four affected counties—especially l’Horta Sud—covering 20% of the declared damages with a maximum of 20,000 € per entity. Additionally, the Foundation allocated 20,000 € to entities that launched their own fundraising campaigns through the matchfunding system. The goal was to facilitate the recovery of association spaces and the resumption of social and cultural activities as quickly as possible.

We continue helping

According to the Foundation’s assessment—made possible thanks to information gathered through two questionnaires sent to associations—the losses reported by affected entities amount to 8,420,626 €, with major damages in infrastructure (3,231,510 €), difficulty paying staff salaries for three months (1,663,230 €), and rent costs for the same period (508,000 €). It is therefore clear that the associative fabric still needs help, especially in areas such as administrative management, advisory services, launching activities (which require staff), or renovating their premises. For this reason, the organization continues raising funds and providing emotional support to associations, which also require active listening and psychological care.

With the completion of direct aid distribution, the Fundació Horta Sud will now begin the second phase of the Recovery and Transformation Plan, focused on launching inter-association projects that improve citizens’ quality of life and foster development in the affected areas.

In the words of its director, Julio Huerta, “in this way, we continue working to ensure that our action not only serves to address immediate needs but also contributes to a shift toward a more just, supportive, and collective society.”

In parallel, during the emergency, we coordinated the delivery of in-kind resources valued at nearly 100,000 €, with major donations such as 34 motorbikes (83,054 €) and 400 computers (15,600 €) provided by the company Capgemini. Altogether, the associative movement has received a total of 1.5 million euros—a key support to accelerate the recovery of the most affected entities.

The associations benefiting from this aid represent a total of 72,961 members and 77,628 regular users, highlighting the importance of the associative movement in the social life of the region. Among the sectors receiving the most support are the fallas (497,356 €), musical entities (163,317 €), cultural and heritage organizations (153,032 €), and social assistance groups (132,850 €).

As for the municipalities, Paiporta received the most aid, with 299,558 €, followed by Catarroja (230,835 €), Alfafar (184,050 €), and Aldaia (158,352 €)—a distribution that reflects the degree of impact of the DANA in these areas.