01/07/2012 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Regional Red Cross President, Miquel Alenyà claimed yesterday that 23percent of families in the Balearics are at risk.
Alenyà didn't hide the fact that he was pessimistic about the future. “The situation is going to get worse seeing that unemployment is going to rise. There is still no evidence of economic recovery either in Spain as a whole or in the Balearics.” Alenyà was speaking yesterday in Palma during the annual presentation of the Red Cross activity and assessment report.
According to the report, the non-government organisation attended to calls for assistance from more than 186'000 people last year, of whom over 43'000 were given aid under a social emergency programme which has been up and running since 2008. Public administration departments have joined forces with the Red Cross during this time to bring relief to those suffering from the worst effects of the economic crisis.

Such aid as basic food stuffs, hygiene kits, coupons for public dining rooms, school material and social assistance have been available under this programme.

The Red Cross said that they provided 36 percent more aid to the public last year in the Balearics than they did in 2010. Alenyà said that he regretted that the Red Cross had not, in fact, managed to provide help to all the people in the Islands who really needed it because the budget under which the organisation had to operate last year was 11.86% lower than in 2010.

What was clear, he said, was that the worsening economic crisis has meant that the work of the Red Cross is becoming increasing essential to more people.

Alenyà made an appeal to society at large to support the work of the Red Cross.