The Italian Red Cross is providing shelter for 1,500 people left homeless after the earthquakes in central Italy this week, the charity's local chief in the quake-hit town of Camerino said on Friday.
Those left homeless by Wednesday's magnitude 5.2 and 5.9 quakes are being housed in two sports halls and in a bus depot, said Gianfranco Broglia.
"A kitchen sent from Rome's emergency centre will be fully operational today capable of providing over a thousand meals per day," Broglia said.
The Red Cross has also set up two medical centres where GPs can visit patients and prescribe drugs, he said. Over 100 volunteers helping the earthquake victims in Camerino then travel to pharmacies and bring prescribed medicines to patients.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 people have been left homeless after Wednesday's earthquakes in March and Umbria which struck many of the same areas as the deadly magnitude 6.2 earthquake of 24 August.
The August earthquake killed at least 297 people, injured nearly 400 and left 4,000 homeless, causing an estimated 4 billion euros of damage.
Nerves in the quake zone have continued to be frayed by more than 900 aftershocks, of which five have been of magnitude 4 to 5, and experts say these could continue for weeks or months.
Many residents whose houses were damaged in the earthquakes have decided to stay in hotels on the Adriatic coast, taking up Italy's civil protection agency's offer of financial help with accommodation.
Italian premier Matteo Renzi paid a morale-boosting visit to the quake area on Thursday, promising those affected that "Italy does not abandon its citizens".
"The earthquake has tested us, but we are stronger," he said, unlocking 40 million euros for the latest emergency and ruling out survivors spending the winter in tents.
"We say no to tents. Let's be serious. It's already October and people can't spend the winter under canvass," Renzi said.
