Tirana, 12 December 2017:
UNHCR and Japanese embassy donate two Fabric Warehouses (Rub Halls) to help people affected by latest floods.
Today, the Minister of Defense, Ms. OltaXhaçka, and the Brigadier General BardhylKollçaku, Chief of Staff of Albanian Armed Forces, received H.E. Makoto Ito, Ambassador of Japan to Albania and Mr. Pablo Zapata, UNHCR Representative in Albania, who presented the donation of two Fabric Warehouses (Rub Halls). The donation made by UNHCR under a common UN approach, was possible thanks to the agreement of the Government of Japan, which have funded these items in the context of contingency preparedness for possible refugee flows through the Western Balkan countries.
The Fabric Warehouses, of 12×24 meters valued in USD 29,000, serve as a safe storage space for emergency supplies during emergency situations, and as a forward post to respond to the needs of population affected.
During the meeting, the Minister informed on the steps taken to address the consequences of the flooding. The UNHCR Representative and the Japanese Ambassador congratulated the authorities in charge of the emergency response for promptly addressing the needs of persons affected. Future cooperation in the areas of prevention, needs assessments and emergency response were also discussed.
Ambassador Ito in his address at the meeting confirmed the commitment of the Government of Japan in providing emergency assistance together with the UNHCR. He said “I hope that this donation will contribute to the recovery process in the flood affected areas. My government is ready to cooperate with the Albanian authorities in the fields of prevention and preparedness of natural disasters.”
The UNHCR Representative said that “UNHCR has responded to the request of the Albanian authorities with emergency assistance, and is grateful to the Government of Japan for its continuous support and agreement to for the donation of these structures to the Albanian emergency authorities.”
Last week, UNHCR had also donated relief items such as blankets, tents, sleeping mats and plastic sheets which have been distributed to the persons affected by the flooding situation.
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