Durres, Albania, 26 November 2019. A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has hit Albania at 3:54 AM local time, centered 30 km west of Tirana. The most affected areas are the coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane. Four buildings are collapsed in the town of Thumane, while two apartment buildings and two hotels collapsed in Durres. At least 14 people died and around 600 people injured as residents were trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings. The Albanian Red Cross is responding with 160 staff and volunteers on the ground. Doctors and first aid volunteers who are providing medical and psychosocial support (PSS) to the injured and displaced. In Thumane, Red Cross teams are providing water and food for children and some PSS for those affected. In Durres, the branch office is open 24/7 and serving hot tea/coffee, water and hot meals for the affected people, as one of the collapsed buildings is located close by. The Durres branch is also present at the local football stadium where the government is setting up a tent camp for the affected people, providing blankets and hygienic kits.

WHO working to save lives following powerful earthquake in Albania

On Nov 28, 2019

Staff from the World Health Organization (WHO) are assisting authorities in Albania following an earthquake which killed at least 25 people and left more than 650 injured.

The 6.4 magnitude quake struck coastal areas early on Tuesday, with a state of emergency declared for the city of Durres and the capital, Tirana.

“We have been on the ground from the first moment of this disaster, working with health authorities to save lives”, Dr Piroska Östlin, WHO interim Regional Director for Europe, said on Wednesday.

WHO staff have been deployed, and the country team travelled to Durres to assess health needs alongside local and national health authorities.

Hundreds of people are receiving medical assistance at hospitals in the affected area, which reportedly have not suffered significant damage.

Dr. Raul Gonzalez-Montero, WHO Representative in Albania, commended the Medical Emergencies Coordination Centre for its response.

“I personally went to visit affected areas and health facilities where health personnel are working around the clock to treat trauma and other injuries, and they are coping well”, he said.

WHO explained that in the aftermath of an earthquake, priority is on saving lives from trauma and injuries from building collapse.

Following this phase, it is critical to monitor the potential risk of communicable diseases, particularly in areas affected by overcrowding.

There is also a need to address post-traumatic mental disorders and continue the provision of care for chronic conditions, with the focus eventually turning to recovery and rehabilitation.