Spanish retail associations mobilise to aid wildfire victims

Madrid - Spain's two main retail employers' associations have offered to help the tens of thousands of people displaced by the wildfires burning across the country, coordinating with public authorities to channel essential supplies.

Distribution association Anged, which represents large retailers including El Corte Inglés, Carrefour, C&A, Media Markt, Ikea, Jysk and Pepco, said over the weekend it had begun contacting the authorities to make itself available where needed. The association said it and its member companies are in touch with the regional government of Madrid, town councils in the provinces of Madrid and Ávila, and emergency services to supply food, textiles and personal hygiene products to evacuees.

Fashion retail association Arte issued its own statement of solidarity on the morning of Monday, July 27. Its members include Inditex, Mango, Hugo Boss, H&M, JD Sports, Kiabi, Mayoral, Primark, Tendam, Uniqlo, Zeeman, Pepco and All We Wear Group. The association said it had made itself available to the authorities "to collaborate in whatever we can contribute", and voiced support for the military, firefighters and emergency teams working to contain the fires.

Six major fires still burning

Spain had six major active wildfires as of Sunday, July 26, according to the national forest-fire coordination centre, with several still out of control around Madrid, in Castile and León, and in the Valencian Community. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated, and regional authorities have opened shelters across the affected municipalities.