The first phase of relief was focused on the “Xhabije” neighborhood and the Roma community which had been evacuated from the “Rrenc” municipality. Before one enters the city, your eyes see nothing but water. It is quite difficult for everyone to distinguish the road. The apartments all around are absorbed into the landscape, and some of them have only the roof visible. The Drin River appears fearsome. It is like a scene that you might see in a movie.
It is hard to believe that only a few days ago farmers were working on this land, now the water covers everything and the eye cannot see any part of that land, only motor boats. Right across the old way, our van is able to enter into the city of Shkodra near the center. This part of the city is not covered by the water. However, once you leave this part of the city, you can see beyond the neighborhood of Xhabije to the Rozafa Castle which seems to be facing “invisible soldiers “sailing everywhere with boats. Just looking at all that water from this dramatic perspective might frighten anyone. We stopped at the entrance of this neighborhood where over 20,000 inhabitants live. For days now, in order to go to their homes, they have had to travel by military cars or with boats.
Hundreds of aid packages for hundreds of citizens, who were seeking help from the upper floors of the buildings, have been delivered by the “boats of salvation”. Father Emanuel Lusha, together with other staff of the Orthodox Church of Albania, came out of the car and went on the boat first, followed by the people who carried the aid from the truck. The first boat departed to the main school of this neighborhood, while the leader of this zone, together with other residents welcomed us with kindness. He told us that they had not previously received packages with such quantities and assortments of things. The citizen’s continued to express their thanks to the Orthodox Church for its help and followed us until we exited by boat to go to another destination in the Rrenc municipality.The delivery of other relief was conducted over the course of the day to all the Roma families living there, in answer to the dramatic circumstances that have befallen this area. The Orthodox Church had previously shown care towards the evacuated families in this municipality with food aid and clothing when they lived on the edge of River Buna. Their evacuation to this municipality due to flooding caused them to welcome us with much love and trust, because they know from previous years the valuable contribution of the Church.
Grants, valued at 5,000€ (five thousand euros), were provided through the direct care of Archbishop Anastasios, and funded by the Swiss Organization HEKS (Swiss Interchurch Aid). This was not the first aid for this crisis donated by the Orthodox Church to the flooded area of Shkodra. Other relief had been given in the first moments of the crisis to the Emergency Headquarters of this city in January, 2010, in the form of 5 tons of humanitarian aid. Then in February a substantial amount of money was given which had been collected by the Orthodox believers from all around Albania. During the days that follow additional phases of assistance will continue for other residents of the city and surrounding areas that are suffering from the disaster of flooding.
Anisia & Isidor Koti
Translated by Ana Meni
Edited byAnastasia Pamela Barksdale
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