INUNDATIONS IN SHKODRA 6 – 11 JANUARY 2010
 
Caritas Albania continues to work in emergency situation created in Shkoder after the flooding. The situation keeps on being very serious.
Caritas Albania team of emergency, after the first intervention with food and clothes assistance is working in different directions in order to support communities affected from this situation.

On 4th of January 2010, the Emergency team of Caritas Albania has organized a meeting led from the National Director. This meeting was focused in the creation of rapid strategy of intervention.  The team has decided:

Aim: to support the community affected by flooding and to help them to pass this situation.
Caritas Albania has been very carefully during the intervention. CA was based in a step by step intervention. So first ,CA made the assessment of situation decided which were the priorities and intervened with the first Rapid phase). 

Caritas Albania team of emergency has decided some priorities of working:

 

Continuous monitoring of the   situation in the affected areas.

Caritas Albania has monitored the situation in north of Albania. The last news is that situation continues to be critical: Buna river is enlarged and has affected even three quarters of Shkodra city: Xhabije, Bahcallek and Ajasem. 
The flooding area is enlarged now, because two other communes are affected (commune of Berdica and Bushat).
Water level in Berdica Arch (entrance of affected area) is 70 cm and in Berdica village reaches 2 m.

Military structures are placed in commune of Dajç, Ana Malit, Bërdicë, Guri Zi, Velipojë and quarters of Shkodra. They have evacuated habitants during the day and night. So on 9th of January the number of the evacuated persons was 3752. The military structures have evacuated even domestic animals of communities, because the inhabitants were anxious about them. 

On 8th of January with the Decision of Prime Minister of Albania it was interdicted the passing in most affected areas, from Berdica Arch to Shkodra City. Transport has been diverted to Deja orientation for entering in Shkodra.
Military structures have placed barriers and they are protecting the villages from the thieves,  that is one of the reasons why the  habitants have refused to displace from the villages.

Ministry of Defence is highly involved in this situation and they are engaged with 337 soldiers, 41 juggernauts, 13   discharging cars,   11 powerboat and 16 river boat for the evacuation of habitants.

About 6000 habitants of Shkodra risk staying without electric power because the water level in electric station of Dajc is only 15 cm from the closed quote.
The situation in Hydro centrals continues to be critical; level of water is near to limited quotes, so that authorities are obligated to discharge. This is the reason that the flooding continues even when it is not raining. Weather forecast has informed  intensive raining in the next days so that all authorities central and local, NGO-s involved are in Emergency.

Updated by official information and from the field assessment for damages.

 
Commune
 Land flooding   
Persons evacuated   
Houses under the water 
Shkodër  250 acres 148  320
Dajç 2000 acres  2000 1187
Ana Malit  1370 acres 230 180
Velipojë   2000 acres  25 50
Bërdicë     1700 acres  350 65
Guri Zi   650 acres 689 200
Bushat  1700 acres 300 100
Qendër 500 acres 108  
 
 
Creation and put in efficiency network of collaborators.

Caritas Albania parallel with assessment of situation has created a mini network of collaborators for

facing this situation.

The flooding emergency 2010 collaborators are:
 – Diocesan Caritas of Shkodra.
–  Diocesan Caritas of SAPA.
–  Parish of Dajc, Obot and Bushat.
–  Volunteers.
 
Director of Caritas Albania has organized meeting with bishops and directors of two diocesan Caritas for the organization of effective intervention in the field.
The responsible of emergency team has organized meeting with parsons of three parishes for concretely information and necessary assessment for the communities.

Caritas Albania has decided to assist with materials persons affected but also to be prepared for the future development of situation. Caritas Albania and diocesan Caritas has prepared their structure for the reception of evacuated persons.
So Diocese of Shkoder has prepared “Village of the peace” and old office of Caritas.
Diocese of SAPA has prepared Krajen School and Gomsiqe centre.
Volunteers of Caritas are very important collaborators in this situation. They have participated in preparation of package of materials and distribution of them.
Emergency team and volunteers group are working hardly and without time limits.

 

 
Material assistance for communities affected.

Caritas Albania has sent material for assistance from 4-5 January (the first days of emergency).  The materials have been generally food and clothes.
Volunteers and parsons have reported that many habitants have required water so on 6th of January we distributed  bottles of water for the families isolated.
Caritas Albania is preparing packages with materials based in need assessment made in the field in collaboration with parsons and local collaborator.

Caritas Albania in 8 January has sent 2 tracks with food items and no food items for the diocese of SAPA. One camion was distribute to the families under the water that are not evacuated yet and the second track has been in stock  in diocesan Caritas of SAPA as  victual for the families that will be evacuated and sheltered from Caritas.

 
On Sunday, another track has brought some packages of food   to the Parish of Velipoja where is the centre of parish of Caritas managed by the priest Don Vlash Palaj.
 

Today (January 11-th) two other tracks will go to the affected areas. Together with the group of volunteers will be the President of Caritas Albania, Msgr. George Frendo and the National Director Dr. Albert Nikolla.
 
Name of the bank receiving the money:
 
INTESA SANPAOLO BANK

 Bank address:

 Laprake,Tirane
 Bank account holder:

Caritas Shqiptar
Bank account number:
30473131801

 
IBAN:
AL44208112040000030473131801
SWIFT CODE: USALALTR