The powerful earthquake that rippled
through the central Italian region of Abruzzo on April 6 at 3:30am has claimed
some 275 lives and left 28,000 homeless, many of whom face months of living in
hotels and tent cities set up by Italy’s Civil Protection Agency. Ten of
thousands more people have been seriously injured. Thirty to forty people are
still reported missing.
The first quake, measuring 6.3 on the
Richter scale, struck in the mountainous province of L’Aquila,
severely damaging homes, buildings, churches and other priceless artistic
jewels. Authorities say several billions of euro are need for the quake
reconstruction effort. However, Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi recently told
the press that it will take months to assess the damage done.
The Italian Culture ministry recently
reported that approximately 70 percent of L’Aquila’s historical, architectural
and artistic jewels have been lost forever as a result of the quake. Aside from
the human effort aimed at giving medial assistance and providing food and
shelter to quake victims, Pope Benedict XVI recently made a worldwide appeal to
art experts to volunteer their services and expertise to restore paintings and
other artworks damaged in the quake.
On Friday, a State funeral will be held for
the victims on the grounds of an army training school in L’Aquila. The mass
will be celebrated by Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari of L’Aquila. Italian
President Giorgio Napolitano, alongside the premier and many other politicians,
will be present at the funeral mass, while Pope Benedict XVI says he will visit
the stricken area after Easter.
Moreover, powerful aftershocks continue to
mar the area, one in particular registered 5.6 on the Richter scale on April 7.
The aftershocks have made it even more difficult for rescue workers to search
for survivors as building continue to crumble. To make matter worse, police
fear a resurgence of looting in the area. Several people have already been arrested
for looting damaged homes and buildings.
Donations from across the globe have been
pouring in. According to the Associated Press, American singer Madonna donated
some 500,000 dollars to the devastated region and special bank accounts across
Italy have been set up to help the survivors.
The Italian senate’s 315 members decided to
deduct $1,323 from their salaries for the cause, and several Italian football
teams have donated revenue from their matches, including Florence’s AC
Fiorentina and AC Siena. Nations from all four corners of the globe have
expressed their willingness to contribute to the reconstruction fund.
The solidarity offered by Tuscany and Florence has been
substantial. Apart from volunteers from the Misericordia, who are in Abruzzo
providing food and medical assistance in a tent city set up for some 200 quake
victims from the badly hit villages of Paganica, Castelnuovo and Centicolella,
the Tuscan region has been given the job of coordinating the technical teams,
which will assess the damage and safety of buildings and homes in the
earthquake zone. Some 230 firemen from Tuscany have been
sent to Abruzzo to support the rescue effort.
By visiting the website of Tuscany’s
Protection Agency (http://servizi.protezionecivile.toscana.it)
those interested can donate funds, food staples, and clothing. Tuscans can even
offer their homes to quake victims. Locally, food and clothing donations can be
dropped off at the Ristorante Fuoripiazza, located on Via Gioberti 46r in Florence. Hotels
and city councils across the region have offered help and funds to the quake
effort. However, officials ask that funds for the reconstruction effort be
donated above anything else. Monetary donations can also be made at any Monte
dei Paschi bank: IBAN IT03 Y010 3002 8060 0000 5000 036.
