Humanitarian aid
Support for people in need
Our humanitarian aid includes a number of activities. In cooperation with the city of Pogradec and other municipalities, Diakonia Albania employees distribute food and family packages as well as hygiene and care products to elderly, sick and handicapped people with their families. Occationally, there are special activities in crisis situations.
Aid in the Mokra region
CHW and Diakonia Albania (DA) have been working in the mountain region, which is now part of the city of Pogradec, for decades. Our nurse Bashkim Lilo and social worker Valbona Balla look after some 50 patients. Most of them are looked after at home though some come to our center in Bishnica. Main focus is the monitoring of diabetics and support for people with disabilities. We also provide care and social support for families, especially through social counseling and education, as well as for elderly, single people. Within their financial means, Diakonia employees also distribute material aid; family packages and hygiene articles are regularly sent to patients and their relatives as well as to the poorest of the poor.
We offer these services primarily to the villages of the Velçan administrative unit, to which Bishnica belongs, but also support people in need in other districts.
Help in the cities – from Pogradec to Lezha
Thanks to the aid shipments from Germany, we are able to provide selective help. Our staff pass on hundreds of family parcels during distribution campaigns: in the Mokra region, of course, but also in Pogradec, Lezha, Librazhd, Tirana and other cities. Families contact our office in Pogradec every week asking for help – for food, a wheelchair, bedding or clothing. Diakonia is a well-known institution in the town, and our employees help as much as they can.
Emergency aid
Our humanitarian aid also includes activities in crises and after disasters. During the Covid19 pandemic, for example, we organized an emergency response for the Mokra region. After the earthquake of November 2019 and the explosion of a gas tank in Dardhas 2016, we were able to provide rapid assistance to the victims. Here, our network in Germany and Albania is just as important as Diakonia’s infrastructure of staff and volunteers, vehicles and the warehouse at Pogradec.
This list can only show some highlights. More information can be found in our blog:
- Blog posts humanitarian aid (German)
October 2022: Aid distribution
Aurora Zeqo’s report is an example of recurring relief efforts
2020/21: Corona aid
Covid19 pandemic and the lockdown worsen already difficult living conditions in the mountain villages. Together with the city of Pogradec, Diakonia Albania organizes material, social and psychological aid. A UNPD funding enables the temporary expansion of activities.
2019/20: Earthquake relief
Following the earthquake in western Albania on 26.11.2019, CHW and DA quickly respond with aid for the earthquake victims. Even more: special donations allow the purchase of 14 emergency shelters for families who are having a particularly hard time. The campaign receives nationwide recognition.
May 2018: Aid distribution Mokra
Frieder Weinhold’s report is an example of recurring relief efforts
2016: Aid for explosion victims
On 01.02.2016, many people are seriously hurt when a gas tank explodes in Dardhas. In the following months, Diakonia Albania helps with home care for the injured after their first treatment at the hospital. Some families also receive food.
2015: Flood victim aid
Heavy snow and rainfall lead to flooding in Albania, causing thousands of families to lose everything. Our partner DHHN brings relief supplies to Pogradec, which are distributed to affected families by Diakonia.
1999: Kosovo crisis
During the Kosovo war, thousands of people flee to Albania, many of them to Pogradec. The refugees are supported in close cooperation with other aid organizations.