BRUSSELS, July 23 (Reuters) - The European Union announced plans on Thursday to send nearly 494 million euros ($703 million) in aid to the Abruzzo region in central Italy following an earthquake that killed almost 300 people in April. The money will be taken from the EU Solidarity Fund, to which 1 billion euros is allocated annually to respond to natural disasters in the 27-nation bloc and in countries holding talks on joining the union. The European Union has never before allocated so much from the Solidarity Fund to a single region. "The scale of the earthquake, whose consequences continue to be borne by the local population, justifies commensurate support from the EU," Pawel Samecki, the European commissioner for regional policy, said in a statement. The funds will be used to pay for temporary housing, repair essential infrastructure and clear rubble. None will be used as compensation for damage to private property. Thousands of people are still homeless and 20,000 have been forced to move outside the region. The damage to the region has been estimated at 10.2 billion euros. The EU has also earmarked an additional 83 million euros from another fund for long-term measures. (Reporting by Caroline Linton; Editing by Jon Boyle) ($1=.7030 Euro)
Students cover their heads with books during an earthquake drill at Caloocan High School campus in Manila July 21, 2009. More than 7,000 people in Caloocan city took part in an ...
