TIRANA, Aug. 10 – The Albanian government has offered a modest Euro 100,000 in financial support to Macedonia after floods in the neighboring country over the weekend claimed more than 20 lives, including several resident ethnic Albanians.
At least 21 people were killed in Macedonia’s Skopje region following deadly flash flooding Saturday evening, state-run Macedonian agency MIA reports. Seven of the victims have been identified as ethnic Albanians.
Monday has been declared a day of national mourning in Macedonia which is facing one of its worst natural disasters after disastrous flooding more than five decades ago in 1962, a year before a huge earthquake destroyed almost all of Skopje.
The Albanian-inhabited Hasanbeg neighborhood outside Skopje was one of the hardest hit areas.
Ethnic Albanians officially account for around 25 percent of Macedonia’s 2 million population, but the figure is estimated to be higher.
Macedonian officials say the death toll could further increase as several people are still missing.
Albania’s highest officials expressed condolences to Macedonia authorities over the tragic floods.
“I wish you overcome this natural catastrophe as soon as possible and that the citizens of Skopje and all of Macedonia return to normality quickly,” President Bujar Nishani, wrote in a message to his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Sunday “we are painfully following the tragic events in Macedonia and stand ready to help our brothers, sisters and neighbors with whatever we can.”
Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta said he was confident Albania, regional countries and EU partners would help Macedonia handle one of its worst natural disasters.
Opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha said he had asked DP-led municipalities to provide humanitarian aid for the households affected.
“The floods in Macedonia and the tragic death toll among whom many Albanians have shocked public opinion. We stand close to every household affected in these difficult hours,” said Basha.
Hundreds of houses, cars and several roads in Macedonia’s capital city and its outskirts have been demolished by the floods.
Albania has also experienced massive floods in the past couple of years but fortunately there has only been material damage. Climate change effects and the human impact on the environment have been blamed for the early year 2015 and 2016 flooding in southern and central Albania.
