La Palma volcano displaced still in containers five years on

Five years after the Tajogaite eruption on La Palma, more than 60 families still live in container homes installed by the Canary Islands government in Los Llanos de Aridane. The 85 modular units, each 50-60 square metres, were meant as a three-year emergency measure but have become long-term housing.

The eruption that began on 19 September 2021 lasted 85 days, covering 1,218 hectares with lava and destroying over 1,600 buildings, including 1,345 primary homes. Direct damages were estimated at around 1 billion euros.

“Now it is the worst, it is a tragedy you live with.”

Reconstruction has been slowed by bureaucratic hurdles and funding shortfalls. The Canary Islands government contributes 50 million euros annually and recently unlocked 100 million from its surplus, but the central government has paid only the 2023 instalment of a promised 100 million euros per year.

In coastal areas Puerto Naos and La Bombilla, volcanic carbon dioxide emissions still restrict access to homes. Residents return house by house based on air-quality sensors and safety protocols.

Displaced residents describe ongoing psychological toll. Fátima Ramos of the volcano victims' platform says the mental impact "ends you mentally" and that early psychological support was insufficient. Soaring construction costs and land prices further delay permanent relocation.