Through a live video on Facebook, Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted to the situation of the fires that have engulfed the country over the last 48-72 hours. According to him, 207 houses have been damaged as a result of the fires, while 40 of them have been completely burned down.
"I want to express my deepest condolences to those who have lost their relatives and homes. Right now, there are 207 damaged houses and 40 families who have completely lost their homes," Rama said. He assured that no family will be left without support and that the government is conducting a full inventory of the damages.
The head of government added that the damages to livestock will not be neglected either. "So far, 3,6019 heads have been lost. We will compensate one by one, without any discussion," he stressed.
Rama also focused on the regional and global scale of the fires, noting that in August alone, around 440,000 hectares have burned in Europe, mainly in areas of Southern Europe. "This is double the average of the last 20 years. This is not just a local issue, but a challenge that is affecting the entire globe," he said.
Regarding international aid, Rama informed that Albania has benefited from air support from several countries: "We have had a Canadair aircraft from Italy, two from Greece, one from Croatia, helicopters from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Sweden, as well as two Black Hawk helicopters from the Emirates."
Regarding the accusations of using a government plane for private travel, Rama dismissed them as "nonsense" and stressed that he has made every private trip with regular airlines. "The rumored plane was used only for official travel and did not cost more than what the Prime Minister's office officially spent every year - including my predecessor," Rama said.
In conclusion, he emphasized that Albania is not exempt from natural crises caused by climate change and called for more reflection and cooperation in dealing with these extreme situations.
