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The article highlights the devastating impact of the 2024 DANA disaster in Valencia, Spain, with a particular focus on migrant women. The tragedy exacerbated their pre-existing vulnerabilities, including job loss, lack of access to support, and increased gender-based violence. It calls for a more inclusive, gender-sensitive approach to reconstruction that not only recognises migrant women as agents of change but also ensures that human rights and gender equality are at the heart of the recovery process.
Written by
Ana Freire Jácome, Por Ti Mujer1
On 29 October 2024, the Community of Valencia experienced a devastating tragedy. A DANA (Isolated Depression at High Level) struck the region, severely affecting l’Horta Sud and causing more than 200 deaths. In the aftermath of this disaster, reconstruction and recovery must adopt a comprehensive approach that prioritises the most vulnerable groups, particularly migrant women, whose pre-existing challenges and vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the disaster.
Data collected by Asociación Por Ti Mujer through direct interventions with the affected community revealed profound losses. Many victims suffered the irreversible loss of loved ones, family members or close associates, leaving an indescribable void in their lives. The destruction of their homes and the loss of precious possessions and memories shattered their emotional and material stability. In addition, the crisis has taken a toll on their physical and mental health, exacerbating insecurity and trauma in precarious conditions.
The disaster had a severe impact on employment, particularly for women working in the informal economy in the domestic and care sectors. Many lost their jobs without compensation, and those who worked as domestic helpers were also left homeless. Although essential, these jobs are often invisible to the authorities, increasing the vulnerability of those who work in them. Despite performing tasks that are essential to life and social welfare, their work is undervalued and they lack benefits such as social security, medical care or decent pensions. The lack of official recognition perpetuates inequalities and leaves them vulnerable in times of crisis. Without institutional support networks, they face an uncertain and precarious future, exacerbating the inequalities they already suffer.
In this context, women with irregular migration status face a limiting barrier: exclusion from support systems. The lack of documentation or the irregularity of their migration status prevents them from accessing the resources necessary for their recovery, forcing them to face the tragedy without basic support.
Gender-based violence, which has increased during the crisis, is exacerbated by irregular migration status. In emergencies, women are more likely to suffer domestic and sexual violence, mainly due to isolation and economic desperation. Their vulnerability is exacerbated by the fear of deportation, which forces them to remain silent and carry a double burden: the trauma of violence and the constant fear of reprisals. The lack of adequate attention to this violence creates a cycle of suffering that prevents them from accessing legal protection or health services due to their irregular status and lack of support networks.
In response to the devastation, the Spanish government issued Royal Decree-Law 6/2024 to provide aid. However, its implementation reveals a problem: requirements such as possession of assets or specific documentation exclude people in an irregular situation, undocumented families or those who have lost their belongings, although they are the ones most in need of support.
In addition, the resolution of February 2025, which approves residence and work permits for victims, establishes requirements such as the possession of registration certificates or previous appointments before 4 November 2024. Many migrant women living in informal or unlicensed accommodation are unable to register formally. This raises the question of whether the measure will once again exclude part of the affected population, making it more difficult for them to access support resources during and after the crisis.
“I have many ways of proving that I lived in Benetússer. My neighbours saved us from being swept away by the flood by throwing us a rope and a hose. I have videos of the destruction of the ground floor where I lived. My visits to the doctor, to the social services… But it doesn’t seem to matter. I have the feeling that if we hadn’t been rescued, no one would care. It’s as if we didn’t exist.”2
For reconstruction to be effective and fair, the criteria for access to aid must be made more flexible and adapted to the diverse realities of the population. This means allowing victims to present evidence according to their actual situation and overcoming bureaucratic barriers. The process must be inclusive, ensuring access to the necessary assistance without discrimination.
Reconstruction cannot be limited to material recovery. It must be part of a strategic approach that takes into account the specificities of each community and builds resilience and long-term development. A successful intervention must change the status quo, promote gender equality and recognise women as ‘agents of production’ in reconstruction. This requires supporting their active participation in development strategies and creating decision-making spaces with equal representation. Inclusive post-disaster economic growth reduces vulnerability and the need for long-term aid, and strengthens communities’ purchasing power. The state must lead public policies with a human rights, gender and intersectionality perspective, together with synergies between actors for sustainable reconstruction.
Finally, the reconstruction of the Valencian Community must be an inclusive process that prioritises human rights and gender equality and ensures that no one is left behind. To this end, it is essential to reduce bureaucracy, eliminate discrimination based on migration status and transform the role of migrant women from victims to leaders in the reconstruction process. This is about rebuilding with social justice, not just material justice.
- https://asociacionportimujer.org/ ↩︎
- El Moudni Guerrero, L. E., Sánchez, G. (2025, February 16). Interview with Diana, in: “No tienen papeles, perdieron todo tras la DANA y son excluidos de la regularización por no tener padrón: Parece
que no existimos”. elDiario.es. Retrieved from https://www.eldiario.es/comunitat-valenciana/sociedad/no-papeles-perdieron-dana-son-excluidos-regulari ↩︎
References:
El Moudni Guerrero, L. E., Sánchez, G. (2025, February 16). “No tienen papeles, perdieron todo tras la DANA y son excluidos de la regularización por no tener padrón: Parece que no existimos”. elDiario.es. Retrieved from:
https://www.eldiario.es/comunitat-valenciana/sociedad/no-papeles-perdieron-dana-son-excluidos-regulari
zacion-no-padron-parece-no-existimos_1_12051002.html
Real Decreto-ley 6/2024, de 5 de noviembre, por el que se adoptan medidas urgentes de respuesta ante los daños causados por la Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos (DANA) en diferentes municipios entre el 28 de octubre y el 4 de noviembre de 2024, BOE-A-2024-22928 (España). Retrieved from:
https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rdl/2024/11/05/6/con
Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones. (2025, February 12). Resolución de 12 de febrero de 2025, de la Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones, por la que se publica el Acuerdo del Consejo de Ministros de 11 de febrero de 2025 (BOE-A-2025-2769). Boletín Oficial del Estado. Retrieved from:
https://www.boe.es/eli/es/res/2025/02/12/(1)
