Pope Benedict XVI will visit thousands of people who have been living in emergency tent camps since two strong earthquakes hit northern Italy on May 20 and 29, the Vatican said Tuesday.The pope will spend a couple of hours next Tuesday in the hard-hit Emilia Romagna region, where the quakes killed 25 people and toppled houses, factories and historic churches and clocktowers.
Over 15,000 people were left temporarily homeless by the quakes, and just over 14,000 are still living in emergency structures, including schools, barracks and 37 tent camps, according to Italy's Civil Protection Agency.
Concern over the well-being of displaced children and the elderly has increased over the last few days as temperatures in Italy spike to above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).