Giorgia Meloni went on Sunday to the victims of the floods in Emilia-Romagna. After hastily leaving the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, the Prime Minister visited flooded homes in northeastern Italy on Sunday.
Wearing rubber boots, the Italian leader, 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.
The “floods of the century”
A total of 36,000 people were displaced in the region during the week, but 10,000 were able to return to their homes, regional authorities announced on Sunday. The floods claimed 14 lives.
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 red weather alert was extended until Monday. Giorgia Meloni is due to chair a Council of Ministers on Tuesday to release emergency funds for the region.