Action to avert climate change and severe weather shocks, especially in Africa forms the core of Italy's overseas aid policies, deputy foreign minister Emanuela Del Re said on Friday.
"Preventive action to address the humanitarian consequences of climate change and extreme weather events is a strategy at the heart of Italian humanitarian action, especially in Africa," Del Re said.
Climate change and extreme weather events have a massive and harmful impact on food security, Del Re underlined.
"For this reason, at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Italy has promoted a Food Coalition to create synergies, particularly in Africa," Del Re continued. FAO is headquartered in Rome.
Del Re was speaking to Red Cross president Francesco Rocca and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain in a video conference.
"Italy and FICROSS have a consolidated partnership, solid and rich in prospects. The world is better thanks to your work," Del Re told Rocca and Chapagain.
Localization is another priority on Italy's global humanitarian agenda, and the the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that local actors can respond to crises in a more timely and effective manner, Del Re went on.
"Italy believes that involving local communities in assessing and monitoring needs is crucial," she said.
Del Re called for more volunteering to draw in more members of civil society. Volunteering has a long tradition in Italy, which has over 6 million people engaged in voluntary work, she noted.
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