Albania - DHA: 09-15.Aug.97
Albania - DHA: 09-15.Aug.97
UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
ALBANIA
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
Period covered: 09-15 August 1997 No. 97/0324
HIGHLIGHTS
Nine Italian military officials will remain in Albania as advisers
Tepelene, Gjirokaster and Saranda now have a special police presence
Food aid has been delivered to 25,217 families
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, there may be a food shortage in
the northeast region in winter
Rehabilitation equipment for polio victims has been installed in the
pediatric hospital
GENERAL SECURITY SITUATION
1. An Italian military adviser team consisting of nine officials will
remain in Albania to assist in rebuilding the Albanian army.
Northern Region
2. The border crossing with Montenegro, north Shkodra, may be opened on
Monday, 18 August.
3. Kukes roads are not yet safe from robbers. Two people died, nine were
wounded and hundreds were robbed along the main Kukes-Tirana road,
especially along the Reshen to Kukes Road.
4. The Puka Fushe Arrez copper mine closed leaving 2000 people without
work. Also, the chief commissariat has been replaced. Puka itself is
safe, however the roads are insecure and there are still a lot of weapons
and explosives in the hands of the people.
Central Region
5. At the Thana Pass border crossing, 70 km east of Elbasan, smuggler
gangs have been attacking police to avoid paying custom duty on goods.
6. Elbasan is still unsafe. A lot of shooting still takes place,
especially at night. According to reports, Elbasan is the transit centre
for drugs, smuggled goods and prostitution.
7. The towns of Porgradec and Erseke lack telephone communication, as ten
MTs of copper wire and 200 telegraph poles have been stolen. There are
still criminal elements in the town.
8. In Librazhd, the Greek Embassy car was shot at; no casualties
reported.
Southern Region
9. At the Kapshtika border, crossing with Greece east of Korce, an armed
gang stopped a bus and robbed passengers. This is still a very dangerous
area, despite police presence.
10. Gjirokaster is a little quieter but still not safe, especially the
hospital area, where visitors are advised not to go. Staff have got
Kalashnikovs to defend themselves, the hospital and other public
buildings. Two local gangs have been arrestedthe last week.
11. Vlore: On Sunday, 10 August, the Special Forces were assisted by the
local police to regain control of the city. On Monday, 11 August, the
Special Forces and the local police fought with local gangs and arrested
three most-wanted bandits, as well as other dangerous members of Zani's
gang. The police also arrested a gang of child kidnappers.
12. In Porgradec, a group of men attacked the police station. The police
returned fire, wounding one and capturing two.
13. Security is improving in the towns of Gjirokaster, Tepelene and
Saranda due to special police presence. Details on the effectiveness of
the presence will be known in the next few days.
POLITICAL SITUATION
14. The Democratic Party MPs participated in a Parliament session for the
first time since the elections, in July.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
Food Aid
15. WFP hosted a food aid coordination meeting on 14 August. Mr. Ismail
Beka of the Ministry of Agriculture presented a summary of the food
security situation in the country.
16. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the wheat production for
this agricultural year is expected to be 370,000 MTs. This is 90,000 MTs
or 32 percent more than last year. Nonetheless, this year's production
will supply only 60 percent of the total country requirements. Mr. Beka
explained that the northeast region had the lowest production level, with
only 10 percent of needs covered by local production. The north may not be
able to afford purchasing from the surplus areas elsewhere in the country
due to the precarious economic situation in the region . Furthermore, in
the winter months, when these areas are physically isolated and little
economic activity is taking place, there may be a food shortage. It is
estimated that at least 20,000 MTs of wheat flour should be pre-positioned
in the northeast to cover needs in the event of a winter emergency.
17. During the week, WFP delivered 574.75 MTs of wheat flour to 12,760
families:
Kukes 2,230 bags
Elbasan 1,390 bags
Diber 1,700 bags
Tropoje 3,140 bags
Peshkopi/Diber 4,300 bags
18. ICRC delivered 7,950 family food parcels (fps) or 164 MTs to:
Puke 1,050 fps
Lezhe 1,350 fps
Librazhd 1,350 fps
Fier/District 2,000 fps
Porgradec 1,650 fps
Kolonje 550 fps
19. Premiere Urgence has completed the second round of wheat flour
distribution to 3,000 beneficiary families in Tirana district. Premiere
Urgence has distributed 180 MTs of wheat flour since distribution began,
in the first weeks of July.
20. Inter-SOS has delivered 30 kg of wheat flour and 5 kg of canned beef
to 1,507 beneficiary families in Lezha. Inter-SOS has also delivered 561
37-kg fps bags containing various food stuffs.
Health
21. ICRC received on Saturday a shipment of 53 MTs of calcium hypochloride
at 65 percent concentration. The shipment has been turned over to
government authorities and should cover most of the chlorine powder needs
of the country for the next two months, that is, until mid-October.
However, if no additional contributions arrive soon, there may be a
shortage of both powder and liquid chlorine in the country after October.
22. CRS has delivered medicines totaling about US$ 2,500 to the Tirana
Trauma Centre.
23. Rehabilitation equipment for polio victims donated by UNICEF has been
installed in the pediatric hospital in Tirana. Consultants have been and
will be training physical therapists on the use of this equipment.
24. The medicines and equipment donated by Medecins du Monde-Greece have
been distributed to the university centre and the maternity hospital in
Tirana, the Military Hospital (Trauma Centre), Gjirokaster and Berat.
UPCOMING COORDINATION MEETINGS
Security: Monday, 18 August at 16:00 hours and Friday, 22
August at 10:00 hours
at the UNICEF office.
Food: Thursday, 28 August at 10:30 hours at UNICEF office.
Social Affairs: Thursday, 21 August at 10:30 at UNICEF office.
Health: Friday, 22 August at 10:30 hours at UNICEF office.
This report is available on the internet through ReliefWeb:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office in Tirana, Albania
Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano
UN Resident Coordinator a.i.,
Tel.: (0035542) 275 00 or 322 63
Fax: (0035542) 300 28
E-Mail: Rotiglia@unicef.tirana.al
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1404
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail:
Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Kazuhide Kuroda
Tel.: (1 212) 963.5713
Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: kuroda@un.org
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856
Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org
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