The volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma caused devastation for three months. Layers of lava up to a meter thick destroyed homes and schools, and more than 7,000 residents had to be evacuated. To support the island's local population, the TUI Care Foundation launched a fundraising campaign to support short- and long-term relief efforts. The initial phase of support focused on distributing food, and assistance is now being provided to schools. A long-term project to support affected farmers will also be launched.
Life is slowly returning to normal on La Palma, but in 85 days, around 1,200 hectares of land were destroyed and many people had to leave their homes. In collaboration with Robinson, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, and TUI tour operators, the TUI Care Foundation launched a fundraising campaign to support them, and the response was overwhelming. Every donation made by guests was matched by the TUI Care Foundation.
Two local aid organizations are already making good use of the donations from the TUI Care Foundation: the Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL) has distributed almost 180,000 food parcels to the inhabitants of La Palma, especially affected by the volcanic eruption; meanwhile, Educo, a Spanish NGO dedicated to child protection and education, is offering psychological and well-being support to affected students and teachers within the framework of a comprehensive school program, which will help them overcome the traumatic experience of the last few months.
The TUI Care Foundation's Emergency Relief program was created to provide rapid assistance to local communities in the event of natural disasters in tourist destinations. In addition to the emergency relief efforts in La Palma, successful emergency relief campaigns have also raised funds for people affected by wildfires in Turkey and Greece.
