Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotsakis expressed his government’s unwavering support for the flood-ravaged province of Thessaly province, during his meeting on Friday morning with local mayors and community leaders in the central Greek region.

The area, known as Greece’s “bread basket”, was inundated by record-breaking rainfall and extensive flooding in early September from the  Storm Daniel.

Mitsotakis assured the local leaders that the government “will be here as long as needed,” emphasizing that the well-being of local residents and their livelihoods from agriculture and stockbreeding are at the forefront of the government’s priorities.

Addressing the challenges posed by the flooding, he said the ongoing drainage efforts, topsoil restoration and the removal of debris are the key issues at this stage.

Furthermore, in talks with local residents, Mitsotakis announced plans to relocate the village of Metamorfosi, one of the most devastated communities on the plain of Thessaly. The new location has been chosen and is currently being surveyed by specialists.

For his part, Rural Development and Food Minister Lefteris Avgenakis outlined the government’s initiatives in collaboration with the Hellenic Agricultural Insurance Organization (ELGA) to support affected farmers, stockbreeders and agri-industrial units.

He said 124 million euros have already been dispersed throughout Thessaly in the wake of the natural disaster.

Mitsotakis later departed for a scheduled meeting with Dutch caretaker PM Mark Rutte in The Hague.