The European Union is hosting a donors’ conference in Brussels to help Albania rebuild areas devastated in a recent earthquake, a media report said on Monday.
The Nov. 26 quake brought down entire buildings on Albania’s Adriatic coast, killing 51 people and injuring hundreds.
Albania, which is among Europe’s poorest countries, has estimated direct damages caused by the catastrophe at 985 million Euros ($1.1 billion), with more expected as a result of slower economic growth.
At the “Together for Albania” conference in Brussels, the country’s post-disaster needs will be presented before the pledging session.
“Among those attending are representatives of the EU and its member states, the Western Balkan partners and international organisations as well as international financial institutions, including the United Nations and the World Bank,’’ the European Commission said.
Apart from reconstruction, Albania has been urged to improve its construction regulations, as many of the collapsed buildings, including coastal hotels, were built without regard for safety.
The EU activated its Civil Protection Mechanism at the request of Albania, which was recently blocked from starting EU membership talks.
In December, the EU already approved a 15-million-euro grant to Albania for reconstruction efforts.
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