Albania - UN: 30.Aug-05.Sep.97
Albania - UN: 30.Aug-05.Sep.97
DHAGVA 97/0336
Situation Report from the UN Resident Coordinator in ALBANIA
Period Covered: 30 August - 5 September 1997
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Government of Albania reports that 100,000 weapons have been
handed in.
- The new UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator has
arrived in country.
- Food aid has been delivered to 24,854 families.
- A rapid heath assessment by Humanitarian Cargo Carriers (HCC)
indicates that long-term measures should be taken to improve the
situation of health posts in rural areas
SECURITY AND POLITICAL
General
The security situation is improving with a reported 100,000 weapons handed
in. The Government clamp down on smuggling is having an effect for the
better. Gang clashes and gangs fighting with police are declining.
The situation in some towns and country roads, however, is still one of
insecurity. Police corruption is reported to be 80 percent of the police
force. Unemployment is a problem in many areas. For example, out of a
workforce of 13,800 in the town of Lac, 10,000 are unemployed. Drug abuse,
especially in Tirana, is increasing.
Northern Region
Incidents are still occurring on the Albanian - Macedonian northwest
boarder with two Albanians wounded, one Macedonian policeman killed and
two others wounded. The Macedonian Police have also dismantled a gang of
Albanians who were smuggling arms from Albania into Macedonia. According
to a note from the Macedonian Foreign Ministry to the Albanian Embassy in
Skopje, there have been 1000 incidents on the Macedonian Albanian boarder
since March. On Macedonian territory in 80 percent of these incidents
weapons were used and people were killed or wounded.
Central Region
Elbasan
Friday 29 August four policemen and the duty officer were wounded during a
fight with two armed gangs. Some gang members were also reported to have
been wounded and three civilians to have died.
Tirana
Wednesday 3 September, an explosion wrecked a kiosk serving as a private
office for lawyers.
Durres
Police captured four wanted criminals who had escaped from the jails
during March.
Southern Region
Berat
Still, very tense situation. Friday 29 August special police killed six
members of a Berat gang at a roadblock on the outskirts of Berat on the
Fier road.
Vlore
Police are slowly gaining control of Vlore. Thirty policemen have been
discharged from their duties due to their involvement with criminal
elements.
On Sunday 31 August, police arrested five members of the notorious
Gaxhai gang charged with killing, raping and smuggling.
Saranda
Three men have been arrested for killing three people. Special police
are now patrolling the town and access routes. The control the coastal
route and have taken measures to secure the road from Gjirokaster to
Saranda and Mvzina Pass, which was notorious for gang armed attacks.
HUMANITARIAN
Mr. Jan Wahlberg, the new UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident
Coordinator for Albania, arrived on Tuesday 2 September.
The new ECHO representative, Mr. James Shepherd Barron, arrived in
country too.
Indro Mattei, the new WHO drug management expert arrived on Monday 1
September and will remain in the country for three months. Mr. Matteis
position is financed by the Swiss Cooperation.
The Organisation MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has returned to the
country. MAF runs an air service for religious and humanitarian
organisations and maintains airstrips in Shkoder, Bajram Curri, Kukes,
Korca, Saranda, Gjirokaster and Vlore.
Food Aid
On Friday 5 September WFP hosted a food aid coordination meeting which
focused on the shortage of wheat flour and wheat grain stocks in the
country and on strategies for replenishing winter stocks. WFP and Mr.
Beka from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture responded to specific
donor questions and made an appeal to donors for assistance. It is
estimated that at least 20,000 MTs of wheat grain are required to cover
the winter months.
General preliminary results of the food security survey were presented.
The final results will be available next week, but in general the survey
indicates that households in the mountain areas will face a shortage of
food in the winter
During the reporting period WFP delivered 779.6 MTs of wheat flour to
15,592 families.
Kavaje 630 bags
Elbasan 1400
Mirdite 800
Mat 2810
Has 3390
Kukes 2450
Tirana 262
Shkoder 1750
Korce 2100
ICRC delivered 9,262 family food parcels (fps) to:
Porgradec and districts 1620 fps
Kukes 467 fps
Merdita 1050 fps
Malesia Madhe 345 fps
Burrel 550 fps
Skrapar 915 fps
Shkoder 4315 fps
Health
WHO held the 15th Health Coordination Meeting on Friday 5 September.
During the meeting HCC presented a summary of its activities in Shkoder
and Malsie Madhe and results from a rapid health assessment conducted
in Kukes and Puka. HCCs ECHO funded project for Malsie Madhe and
Shkoder provides drugs, medical equipment and hygiene items to 14 health
centres in the two districts. HCC also assists the hospital of Shkoder
with items for the surgical ward and the emergency unit.
Conclusions from the rapid health assessment in Kukes and Puka indicate
that almost half of the health centres in some areas are not
functioning. Surprisingly, only a third does not function as a result of
the crisis. Others have not functioned for at least one year, which
indicates that the health system may require more long-term development
assistance.
The WHO representative stated that it is striking that only a third of
those HCs, in spite of substantial development aid, are not functioning
because of the recent crisis (looting, destruction, and departure of
staff). The WHO representative stressed that these findings confirm the
overall judgement that the Albanian Health System was in bad shape even
before the crisis began, and that the crisis has given a final blow to
the system, causing it to halt in a sizeable portion of the country. In
this respect, emergency relief interventions considering both acute and
chronic reasons for dysfunction are well suited to pave the way, if well
designed, for future long-term development.
Also, during the Health Coordination Meeting, ICRC announced the end of
its emergency medical programme. Since March ICRC has provided 37
hospitals with 2,172 emergency medical sets and 15,446 consumable items
to save the lives of wounded.
The Ministry of Health with the assistance of WHO made an appeal to the
Norwegian Government for 15 surgical kits for Albania. These kits are
more comprehensive than the ICRC emergency surgical kits.
CARE international conducted a rapid needs assessment in Vlore 28 30
August. According to the CARE representative two primary health care
posts in the rural mountain area are in need of immediate aid and some
minor rehabilitation. According to the health authorities contacted in
Vlore, the health centres close to the coast and Vlore Hospital received
some assistance from Italy and Greece and are included in the World
Banks programme for health rehabilitation. Nonetheless, Vlore could
benefit from drugs and other consumables in all health facilities. CARE
is exploding options to assist the remote health posts.
The Italian Cooperation donated hygiene kits for 14 districts. During
the week kits were delivered to Lezha, Tepelene, Saranda, Elbasan,
Librazhd, Porgradec and Korce. Next week kits will be distributed to
eight additional locations.
Social Affairs-Education
UNICEF hosted a Social Affairs meeting on 4 September. A representative
of Red Barnet, the Danish Save the Children Fund, announced that Red
Barnets funding from the Danish Government will end at the close of the
year. Red Barnet is seeking other funding sources to continue its work
with poor families and vulnerable children in Shkoder district.
Correction
The Situation Report covering the period 22 29 August stated that the
Italian Government contributed 250 million Liras to the WHO humanitarian
programme. The correct amount is USD 250,000.
Upcoming Coordination Meetings
Security discussion: Monday 8 September at 1600 hrs and Friday 12
September at 1000 hrs at the UNICEF office.
Food: Thursday 11 September at 10:30 at the UNICEF office.
Social Affairs: Thursday 18 September at 10:30 at the UNICEF office.
Health: Friday 19 September at 10:30 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
Ms. Sylvia Ferazzi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. David McLachlan-Karr
Tel.: (1 212) 963.0226 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: mclachlan-karr@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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