Evacuation plans on the island of La Palma after the volcanic eruption last Sunday in Cumbre Vieja, which has led to the eviction of some 6,000 people, are beginning to encounter problems when it comes to relocating those affected and with the added problem that the eruption is beginning to generate difficulties for relocation, hence institutions and businessmen are looking for alternative formulas.
Along with the El Fuerte barracks, in Breña Baja, which has been set up as a temporary reception center with more than 500 people, many people have found accommodation in second homes, houses of friends or family and some are even sleeping in their cars, but the situation is getting worse because there may be more evictions and the minimum forecast for the duration of the eruption is around a month, according to Involcan.
Carlos Fernández, president of the Isla Bonita Rural Tourism Association, tells Europa Press that there are many rural houses affected in the Las Machas area and the upper part of Los Llanos de Aridane and now "there is an urgent housing problem", due to the volume of people evicted and the beds occupied by the personnel sent to the island to help with security work.
In addition, he comments that the "tourist dynamic" is complex and there are tourists staying and reservations for the coming days and weeks, so some "institutional agreement" would have to be reached to channel a policy of cancellations and referrals.
Thus, he points out that reservations have fallen in the west of the island by international tourism, probably due to "ignorance" of the real situation, and reservations have not increased in view of the supposed tourist attraction of the eruption.
Tourist demand between islands, not internationally
On the other hand, he comments that "it is noticeable" on flights between the islands that many people are coming to La Palma "as an attraction" when what is being experienced on the island "is a colossal human drama", both in destroyed homes and infrastructure.
For this reason, Fernández asks the institutions for "some novel measure" and that a "principle of solidarity" be applied to the people affected, which may involve making small apartment complexes available, for example, although he assumes that "they cannot be freed up so easily". "An institutional agreement with tourism entrepreneurs is needed," he adds.
Along these lines, sources from Ashotel have confirmed to Europa Press that the employers' association of the province of Tenerife is already holding meetings with representatives of the Canary Islands Government to find solutions for families in housing emergency.
However, one of the island's two tourist lungs, the Puerto Naos area, in Los Llanos de Aridane, is evacuated and could be reached by the lava, so only the Los Cancajos area, in Breña Baja, near the island's capital, is available.
"There are no more houses than there are"
Doris Borrego, president of Ascav (Canarian Association of Vacation Rentals), points out that "from the first minute" of the eruption, they have made themselves available to the institutions to collaborate, given that the eruption will be prolonged in time, assuming that in the short term it is more difficult because the houses on the island "are full".
Thus, she admits that the situation "is very complicated" given that many Ascav members have also lost their homes and there are clients occupying the properties and reservations underway, "and there may be more evictions depending on the evolution".
Ascav has made homes available to Palmera families on the island of Tenerife and some referrals have already been made, but warns that the island does not have the capacity to cope with an evacuation of 6,000 people.
"There are no more houses than there are and this is going to take a long time," she confesses, stressing that the island is experiencing a "catastrophe" and we must focus on finding decent accommodation for families "urgently."
Therefore, Borrego hopes that the banks, which have free homes on the island, will also make them available.
