By Mahdi Al-Nimer
ROME, Nov 24 (KUNA) -- Chairperson of Kuwait Voluntary Work Center (KVWC) Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited Thursday Norcia city in central Italy to get familiar with voluntary work in face of natural disasters following the city's 2016 earthquake.
Sheikha Amthal was accompanied by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Ali Al-Khalid, Military Attache Brigadier-General Dr. Bashar Abdulredha and the accompanying Kuwaiti delegation.
She expressed Kuwait's solidarity with the townspeople, and visited the damaged central hospital and a rebuilt nursery.
She also met the voluntary teams who took part in the massive rescue operations and listened to their experiences, and praised their role during this disaster.
Sheikha Amthal briefed them on volunteering experience in Kuwait and its important role during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
She was received during her visit by Head of the European regional and parliamentary government, Catiuscia Marini, the Mayor of Norcia Nicola Alemanno, Head of International Department of Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli and a number of officials and people.
In a statement to KUNA, Sheikha Amthal said that the visit was made at the invitation of the head of the Italian Civil Protection Organization, and described it as an excellent opportunity to know what the volunteer teams have done and how to help official authorities in rescue operations.
She also stressed the importance of government agencies training and qualifying volunteers to be always ready to participate effectively in any emergency situation.
She also praised the results and benefits of the visit, which can be used to establish fruitful cooperation, particularly in the field of volunteering.
The European Union has declared Norcia a "European volunteer capital" as an example of the participation of volunteers during the devastating earthquake that hit central Italy in October 2016.
Voluntary work in Italy is the backbone of civil protection, with 6,000 voluntary associations that comprise 800,000 volunteers in various fields. (end) mn.ss