- Title: ALBANIA: Large areas of north-west remain flooded
- Date: 14th January 2010
- Summary: SHKODER REGION, ALBANIA (JANUARY 13, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HYDROPOWER PLANT "VAU DEJES" DISCHARGING EXCESS WATER HYDROPOWER PLANT "VAU DEJES" WATER COMING FROM TURBINE UNITS SIGN READING "HYDROPOWER PLANT VAU DEJES" FLOODED HOUSES IN SHKODER
- Embargoed: 29th January 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Albania
- Country: Albania
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA9S12IMKQQSCR1BFDP2XCT2TW
- Story Text: The latest figures show that more than 5.000 people have been evacuated from the flooded Shkodra region in north-west Albania. Almost 3000 houses and 10,400 hectares are flooded so far.
The worst effected areas are the municipalities of Dajci, Velipoja and Bushat, but water has flooded lower parts of the Shkodra town as well.
Apart from heavy rains in the region the situation has escalated when emergency gates in dams in Drin River cascade had to be opened to discharge excessive water in order to preserve the dams from destruction, which could cause catastrophic proportions of flooding.
The situation is worst for poor families that even without flooding had rough time surviving.
"Simply we need means to survive this, my children don't go to school, I am unemployed and I have to support a family of six, I plea to the government to do something, this happened in 2004 as well, I have a sick child who can't hear or talk, we live out of small social welfare, this is it I lost everything due to flooding," said Said Dibra.
The evacuation is still underway although the levels of water are under the emergency limit in the dams of the Drin River.
Many European Union countries had sent aid in medication, food, equipment and personnel to Albania, also none EU countries like Kosovo, Macedonia are aiding Albanians in Shkodra region.
"As we can see today the situation in better, not only weather wise but also other emergency indicators like the level of water, another good thing is that the level of water in the Buna River is lower. At the same time all the operations of evacuating people, food supply for people and their livestock, medicine supply and so on, is undergoing as planned," said deputy Minister of Defence Arian Starova.
The Prime Minister Sali Berisha told local media that his government will fully compensate the damages of the floods. The government has yet to evaluate the damages. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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