Albania floods
![The Livade suburb of Shkodra city flooded by water. [Photo credit: Oxfam]](images/albania_floods.jpg "[Photo credit: Oxfam]")
Thousands of people have been uprooted from their homes due to devastating flooding in northern Albania.
The situation
Albania is struggling to cope with its worst flooding for half a century.
![Livestock food damaged by water in Ana e Malit Commune, where Oxfam is supporting the local farmers on the fruit culture techniques. [Photo credit: Oxfam]](images/albania_floods2.jpg "[Photo credit: Oxfam]")
The Albanian government has declared a ‘status of civil emergency’ due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall during late December 2009 and early 2010. So far 3,752 people have been evacuated from their homes in the regions of Shkodra and Lezha.
Flood waters have engulfed thousands of hectares of arable land causing hundreds of families to lose their livelihood. Flooding has swamped the main road leading into the biggest city Shkodra, and and hundreds of families have been left without food or electricity. The situation is exacerbated by dangerously high water levels in the three dams (Fierze, Koman and Vau i Dejes) located on the on the Drini River.
Oxfam's response
Open fields once blooming with flowers and root vegetables, are now immersed under water. Nearby greenhouses lie flooded while farmers struggle to rescue their stranded livestock and salvage the remains of their lost livelihoods.This is in an area that Oxfam has been working for many years, supporting local farmers on agriculture, food processing and marketing activities.
![Distribution of animal food to in Guri I Zi Commune. [Photo credit: Oxfam]](images/albania_floods3.jpg "[Photo credit: Oxfam]")
Working with local partner Perm culture Resource Center, Oxfam is helping farmers to recover by distributing fodder for the evacuated livestock. Meanwhile hundreds of displaced families are currently being sheltered in student dormitories provided by the Government.
Quotes from the field
All day we’ve been helping to rescue children and elderly people trapped in the flood waters. Almost all of the food for animals is underwater. Thankfully Oxfam has been providing fodder for livestock.
Broz Marku Head of Guri i Zi Commune
We are grateful to Oxfam for supporting us. Without Oxfam’s help we wouldn’t have been able to feed our animals
Ali Gasruli in Oblike village
Today the Prime Minister of Albania has been visiting the flooded areas. We told him that Oxfam has been helping us to recover from this terrible situation
Broz Marku Head of Guri i Zi Commune
Update: January 2010
