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Add to Preferred SourcesAt the end of November 2019, Albania was hit by the strongest earthquake in 40 years, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was 10km north of Durres, the country’s second-largest city.
This natural disaster claimed 51 lives. In response to a formal request from the Albanian government, Switzerland sent a rapid response team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) to the affected region. More than 5,200 people have benefited directly from Switzerland’s humanitarian aid intervention.
The SHA is responding by implementing specific measures, delivering winter tents, beds, blankets and tarpaulins to rural communities in the Lezha and Durres areas and providing temporary accommodation for around 1,100 people. A total of 344 households have received cash to carry out emergency repairs to their homes. Working with Albanian colleagues, Swiss engineers are checking the stability of damaged homes and public buildings, such as hospitals and schools, so that these can either be cordoned off or reoccupied.
Although international emergency relief efforts, including those of Switzerland, have been effective, Albania has not yet recovered from the earthquake. Total damage is estimated at around CHF 900 million and reconstruction costs could amount to some CHF 1.15 billion. In response, the European Commission hosted an international donors’ conference in Brussels. At the conference, Switzerland announced that it would contribute CHF 10.2 million to help recovery efforts in Albania.
2020 also marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Albania. Given this long-standing relationship and the serious humanitarian crisis, it is only natural that Switzerland would want to help its partner country through this difficult time.
The contribution towards reconstruction is provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
Original source: SDC
Published on 17 February 2020