Earthquake in Albania
On Tuesday morning, Albania was shaken by an earthquake of a 6.4-magnitude, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
Helvetas has a local presence in Albania and is working with the SDC's team of experts to deal with the impact of the quake. We are particularly concerned about those who have lost their friends and relatives, and those who no longer have a roof over their heads.
Around a dozen specialists from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit have been sent to help the Albanian emergency services in their search for and rescue of people buried in rubble. They will inspect the buildings to check for their structural statics and clarify what their status is in terms of safety and damage.
The Helvetas team in Tirana is supporting and accompanying the Swiss expert group in providing emergency aid. The concrete help and support needed by the affected people in the reconstruction process is currently being clarified.
25 of our project workers in Tirana are unharmed. Project manager Edlira Muedini reports that the damage in the capital was comparatively limited. The situation is different in Durres and Thumana, though, where many buildings are in a state of ruin. Edlira emphasizes the great willingness of the population and the foreign countries to help.
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