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Dear Family and Friends,
For those of you that are praying for Albania, here is an update that was posted by a friend of ours, one week after the 6,4 earthquake:
7,900 damaged buildings countrywide
6,000+ homeless sheltered in hotels, public buildings, tents and with relatives, while neighboring Kosovo has provided shelter to others
3,000+ people injured
51 lost their lives (currently the world's deadliest earthquake in 2019)
45 individuals were rescued alive from the rubble
40 people still in hospital
4 churches no longer have a building to meet in (Thumane, Durres, Shijak, Kombinat of Tirana)
*Nov. 30, search parties were called off
*There are continued aftershocks but predominantly in a downward intensity trend. "Phantom tremors" also are being experienced by many people in the affected areas.
*Worst hit areas are Durres and Thumane, while the districts of Tirana, Lezhe and Laç are in a state of emergency, damage is also recorded in other areas of Albania where there has been old/weak buildings.
*Buildings/homes verified dangerous are presently being pulled down.
*Albanian government has said it will rebuild, but it's unclear as to what extent) and help with a rent allowance for up to one year for families who have lost their homes.
*Luting of taped off homes/buildings is rampant in the night hours.
*Structural engineers from a number of countries have now been sent to assist with damage assessments.
*Prosecutors have started an investigation into possible legal construction and violations of construction regulations. Poor construction, building code violations and corruption are considered among the main reasons for much of the quake damage.
* Some people are still sleeping in cars at night in the affected areas in fear, while some in villages who have animals to tend to are sleeping under plastic sheeting in their garden. (No tents are in stock in Albania to buy at present)
*As the Albanian church has risen sacrificially to the need and those of Kosova-with temporary housing, feeding, and aid distribution. Prayer rallies have also taken place. (Yesterday evening there was another one in the capital city's centre square.)
There are many needs in many areas. Your continued prayers are appreciated. Your financial gifts are already in use and so timely. Thank You!
We are so proud of the volunteers from the Tirana church plant who have been going daily on their days off, to find and help those in need, and report on the situation so we can be most strategic. This has been a great project to really develop leadership and unite them as a body, God truly can bring good out of everything, as we try and look at the eternal work He is doing) The volunteers said that those who they have been helping, have been very open to hearing about their faith, who they are, and why they are helping, so they are getting many opportunities to share the gospel.
With love,
Ian and Caralee
When giving, please designate: Earthquake Fund
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