European Solidarity Corps rebuilds earthquake-hit regions
A first group of European Solidarity Corps volunteers has arrived in Italy to help rebuilding after severe earthquakes last year.
A first group of European Solidarity Corps volunteers has arrived in Norcia, Italy, to help repair damage and rebuild social services for the local community after they were hit by severe earthquakes a year ago. The volunteers will help reconstruct historic buildings, including the Basilica of San Benedetto and the Monastery of the Benedictines. They will also work with the young and the elderly of Norcia, organising workshops, outdoor activities and cultural events.
The volunteers heading to Norcia come from Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and Spain. The project is one of three European Solidarity Corps projects currently planned in the Italian regions affected by earthquakes. In September this year, European Solidarity Corps members will join the other two projects. In total, 230 European Solidarity Corps members will support Italian communities hit by the earthquakes until 2020, with €790,000 granted for these projects.
The European Solidarity Corps projects are part of a wider programme of EU support following the earthquakes of 2016 and 2017 in the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria. In June, the Commission proposed to allocate €1.2 billion from the EU Solidarity Fund, the highest amount ever mobilised under this fund.
Since its launch on 7 December 2016, more than 34,000 young people have joined the European Solidarity Corps. In March 2017, matching with organisations began; since then, about 15,000 participants have been contacted and 700 placements accepted. The aim is to have 100,000 young people taking part in the European Solidarity Corps by the end of 2020.
Related links
Factsheet: Taking the European Solidarity Corps forward
MEMO: Questions and Answers on the European Solidarity Corps