“In the extraordinary session of the Council, with President Occhiuto, as the Calabria Region, we asked the national Government for 300 million euros for urgent interventions to make the territory safe, the restoration of damaged infrastructure and concrete support to the Municipalities, citizens and businesses affected, in particular those in the tourism sector, brought to their knees by the violence of the bad weather that hit the Calabrian territory between January 18th and 21st.
Now it is essential to guarantee rapid times and effective responses to the territories that are paying a very high price. There is strong concern about the next summer season, now practically upon us, but we will not leave the operators in the sector who have suffered damage alone: Calabria and its tourism are ready to restart and we will do it together with the support of all the institutions.”
This was stated by the regional councilor for Tourism, Work and Economic Development, Giovanni Calabrese, who underlines how the decision was also made following the constant dialogue between the president of the Region, Roberto Occhiuto, the minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci and the undersecretary Wanda Ferro.
The damage of Cyclone Harry and solidarity with businesses
The councilor expresses his full closeness to the communities hit hard by Cyclone Harry, which caused strong storm surges, intense winds and heavy rain, causing serious damage and inconvenience especially along the coastal areas.
“The Calabria Region is close to those who have seen their life’s work compromised – continues Calabrese – and extends its most sincere solidarity to the owners of commercial activities and beach establishments who have suffered significant damage to their structures, the result of years of sacrifices, investments and commitment, overwhelmed by the force of the sea. After the enormous efforts made in recent years, together with President Occhiuto, to relaunch tourism, a fundamental sector for the development and employment of Calabria, today we cannot give up on faced with the devastating force of the cyclone”.
Thanks to the rescue machine and state of emergency
Calabrese, in reiterating that he observes the utmost prudence, scrupulously following the instructions of the local authorities and avoiding any behavior that could expose him to risks, also wanted to thank all those who were involved in managing the emergency.
“A strong thank you goes to the regional Civil Protection and to the director Domenico Costarella for the prevention and monitoring activity, to Calabria Verde, with the director Giuseppe Oliva, operating in the area, with teams engaged in restoring safety conditions; to the firefighters, the police forces, the mayors and the prefects for the timely and efficient work carried out to protect citizens.
The Calabria Region, led by President Roberto Occhiuto, confirms its commitment to supporting the affected communities. We will continue to carefully monitor the evolution of the situation by activating every useful tool to support the territories and the damaged economic fabric. We also thank the Government led by President Giorgia Meloni for the closeness shown and for the timely interventions announced.
Recognition of the state of emergency will allow us to intervene more effectively in the recovery and reconstruction phases. The Calabria Region – finally declares the Calabrese councilor – will continue to ensure institutional support and coordination even in the phases following the emergency. The summer season is upon us and concern is high, but one thing is certain: the institutions will not take a step back and will not leave operators and municipalities alone”.