Buenos Aires Herald 
President Javier Milei made a surprise trip to Bahía Blanca on Wednesday morning, five days after the massive storm that hit the Buenos Aires province coastal town and has so far left at least 16 dead.
Hours later, his communications team announced that he would order the creation of an AR$200 billion (US$184 million at the official rate, US$163 million at the MEP rate) special fund “to assist the affected in a direct and proportionate manner with no middle men.”
The fund will be administered by the Security Ministry’s Federal Emergencies Agency.
TV crews in the city caught the president walking around areas affected by the storm and subsequent flooding. His visit had not been announced by the presidential press team, and no schedule was provided.
According to Herald sister publication Ámbito, Milei had been planning the visit for some time but did not announce it “to avoid political speculation.” He was not accompanied by his press team nor photographers.
He arrived at around 8 a.m. and left minutes after 11 a.m., TV station C5N reported. During his short stay he visited a field hospital and met Bahía Blanca Mayor Federico Susbielles.
Ámbito added that Milei had shared a phone call with Susbielles before traveling, but didn’t tell him about his visit.
Milei traveled with Presidency Secretary Karina Milei and Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos. The three met up with Ministers Patricia Bullrich (Security) and Luis Petri (Defense), who have been staying in Bahía Blanca since Saturday.
A little under a week after the tragic storm, the city continues to sift through the wreckage and assess the damage. Although public transport is working again, schools have been suspended until Friday. Bahía Blanca General Prosecutor Juan Pablo Fernández said authorities are looking for 94 people who have been reported missing since Friday.
“It is likely that there are more dead. We’ve found 16 bodies so far,” he told Radio Mitre on Tuesday morning.
Among the missing are sisters Delfina and Pilar Hecker, aged 1 and 5, who were dragged away by the current when their family was trying to escape a car caught in the flood on Friday.
Meanwhile, the number of people who had to evacuate and remain unable to return to their homes has fallen from 1,400 to 377.
Dozens of donation campaigns have been launched across Argentina to help Bahía Blanca and nearby cities that have also been affected by the flooding. The local government is receiving water, food, cleaning supplies, blankets, towels, mattresses and other essentials. They are also receiving financial donations in pesos via the bank alias BAHIAXBAHIA and in U.S. dollars via BAHIAXBAHIA.USD. These are registered under Bahía Blanca Municipality’s bank accounts. They are the only official accounts to which money can be donated.
On Tuesday, Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof announced a AR$273 billion (US$ 222 million at the MEP rate) aid package for Bahía Blanca, which includes the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and tax reliefs. On Monday, the national government transferred Bahía Blanca AR$10 billion (US$9.2 million at the official rate, US$8.2 million at the MEP rate).
Mayor Susbielles thanked Milei for the help but said at the time that rebuilding the city would take “at least 400 billion pesos.”