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Special appeal for Albania
C
risis in north Albania We heard from our contact persons about the situation in northern Albania, where there has been a humanitarian disaster. Heavy rains and melting snow caused flooding in the Shkoder and Lezha regions of northern Albania.
Consequently the snow melted and water poured into two large reservoirs above the city of Shkoder. The authorities were put in a terrible position, either they could let the
dams holding the reservoirs burst,
which would cause immense flooding to the city, or they could release some of the water more steadily and only flood the outskirts. They chose the latter.
Thousands of people had to be evacuated, many of whom have lost everything, and whilst the authorities are helping with the immediate crisis it will be months before people can return to their land. The worst hit are poor people who lived in older properties that have either collapsed or become uninhabitable.
Among these are 8 families sponsored through the Child Sponsor Programme; they lost all
their earthly possessions, also their farmland is flooded, which will also affect their harvest
(if any) later this year, which makes things even worse.
their earthly possessions, also their farmland is flooded, which will also affect their harvest
(if any) later this year, which makes things even worse.