Italy has announced a 2.2 billion-euro rescue package for the flood-hit Emilia-Romagna region, which sees more than half of its average annual rainfall and leaves an estimated 23,000 people without their homes and thousands of hectares of fertile farmland Destroyed in as little as 36 hours.
At least 15 people are understood to have died in the floods, which displaced tens of thousands and destroyed thousands of fruit trees in one of the country’s most fertile and productive agricultural regions.
The rescue package includes direct support for affected businesses, as well as a suspension of taxation and social contributions for flood-affected companies.