At the request of Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, and in agreement with Italy’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, the Italian Directorate General for Development Cooperation has organised a humanitarian flight to respond to the emergency in Brazil caused by the devastating flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
“We have arranged this humanitarian flight as a sign of the Italian Government’s solidarity with the populations affected by the dramatic flooding,” Tajani commented. The Minister then remarked that “thanks to this service, it will be possible to assist a large section of the population by providing emergency logistical, housing and medical support, as well as drinking water in the affected areas”. Finally, the Minister expressed his solidarity with the Italian-Brazilian community: “Faced with the images of this tragedy, a special thought goes out to the large community of Italian and Brazilian citizens of Italian descent who live in this region. I wish to send them a hug and a message: we will not leave you alone”.
The flight departed today from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Brindisi with some 25 tonnes of emergency relief goods on board, including health kits, tents, electric generators, filters and water purification systems, and landed at 5 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Italian time) at Canoas. The cargo will later be transported to the affected areas to support the efforts of the Country’s authorities. In particular, both hospital and out-of-hospital emergency health support, including medicines and medical supplies for the treatment of the main diseases suffered, will be ensured for at least 100,000 people for three months. The generators will also allow the supply of electricity to restore and continue all essential activities.
