The European Union will organise an international donors’ conference to support the reconstruction efforts in Albania after the earthquake that struck the country at the end of November.
“The EU is happy to announce that the donors’ conference for Albania will be on the 17 February. It’s a donors’ conference following the horrible earthquake in Albania. We want to help Albania in its reconstruction”, President von der Leyen said during the press conference at the end of the College of Commissioners meeting in Zagreb to mark the start of the Croatian Presidency of the EU.
The EU places high priority on the reconstruction and recovery of Albania and will help to coordinate an international response and to gather necessary financial support to assist in the long term efforts that will be needed for this. The aim is also to help strengthen the capacity of Albania to prepare and handle disaster response.
On 26 November 2019, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit Albania, causing destruction of public and private infrastructure, hitting thousands of households and resulting in 51 fatalities, about 1,000 injured, and about 14,000 people temporarily displaced. Thousands of buildings have been seriously damaged, including schools and health care facilities.
The EU, its Member States, the Western Balkan partners, and representatives from other countries, as well as from the international organisations and the international financial institutions, including the UN and the World Bank, are due to participate.
VENUE:
Brussels, Belgium
17 February 2020
Original source: European Commission
Published on 10 January 2019
