Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited flooded homes in northeastern Italy on Sunday after rushing home from the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, following floods that killed 14 people.
Wearing rubber boots, Ms Meloni, who shook hands with owners of muddy homes and volunteers, told reporters in Ravenna she was ‘moved’ by her talks with those who lost everything in the disaster .
“You are accomplishing an immense task,” she told a resident of Ghibullo who was distributing food to victims, according to a video broadcast by Italian radio and television Rai.
A total of 36,000 people were displaced in the Emilia-Romagna region during the week, but 10,000 were able to return to their homes, regional authorities announced on Sunday.
The equivalent of six months of rain fell in 36 hours this week in Emilia-Romagna, causing the “floods of the century” in this rich agricultural and tourist region. The bad weather caused widespread damage, hard hitting farmers who grow cereals and produce fruits such as apricots and cherries.
On Sunday, the rain had stopped in many places, but the weather red alert was extended until Monday.
Ms. Meloni is due to chair a council of ministers on Tuesday to release emergency funds for the region.
21/05/2023 22:54:22 – Ravenna (Italy) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
