Flood victims still waiting for assistance

TIRANA, Oct. 22 – Hundreds of families in the outskirts of Tirana are still suffering from damage by a flash flood last week, with many homes still under water.
Their problem appear to have turned political as the main opposition Democratic Party that runs the capital’s town hall and the Socialist Party that runs the central government bicker over assistance.
Opposition Democrats, whose leader is also Tirana’s mayor, complain that the central government has given no assistance at all and called on the government to declare a state of emergency in the affected areas. They also asked for immediate material assistance to the affected families.
The central government says it sent army troops to assist the families during the day of flooding, but has no funding to do anything else.
Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri said in a television talk show that the government has been left without money at all for the emergency situations. He said that millions of dollars were spent ahead of time from the previous government of the Democratic Party.
Acknowledging the situation, Tahiri added those affected should pray that there is no more rain.