A comprehensive emergency relief package has been authorized by Italy’s Council of Ministers to assist those affected by catastrophic flooding in the Emilia-Romagna area.
The deal, which was approved one week after the area saw above-average rainfall, is valued more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). Aiming to “provide relief and assistance to the population and businesses affected by the flood, and to proceed rapidly to overcome the emergency phase,” the Council of Ministers said on Tuesday.
According to the Xinhua news agency, the gift is among the biggest ever given in reaction to a national calamity in Italy.
The package includes a temporary suspension of payments for taxes, utilities, and government loans; a payment of up to 3,000 euros for independent contractors unable to work as a result of the flooding; and tens of millions of euros in business subsidies and grants, infrastructure reconstruction, and health and safety inspections for areas that have been severely affected.
Bologna, Parma, and Modena are located in Emilia-Romagna, which started receiving significant rains on May 1. On May 16 and 17, when the area got six months’ worth of precipitation in a single day, the most of the greatest damage occurred.
At least 14 people died as a result of the floods, while others were left homeless. Agri-food production, industry, and the region’s infrastructure are all thought to have suffered significant harm.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, described the relief package on Tuesday as “the first significant response to the territory affected,” adding that further assistance may follow.
At a joint news conference with Meloni, Emilia-Romagna region president Stefano Bonaccini said, “We need to simplify the rules for reconstruction… to restart the region.”
“The damage is in the billions of euros. There are 300 landslides that are active. Whole woods have been destroyed. The rivers, roads, and infrastructure all have issues.