"The damages exceed 15 million lek. Come see it for yourself and let whoever wants to assess it." This is how Aurel Mrroku, a resident of the former Këneta in Durrës, who has been displaced there for more than 30 years, describes the situation.
Even though a week has passed since the heavy rains that flooded several areas of the country, the situation on the ground remains problematic in Durrës.
In the former Kënetë, water continues to block the entrances to houses and the daily lives of residents, some of whom have returned to their homes to assess the damage.
Citizens was there and saw firsthand the dire situation caused by the flood. Appliances, furniture, beds, and clothing were out of use, not to mention the condition of the homes, most of which had their doors damaged.
Desperate, residents said the floods had become an annual routine with no long-term solution. But they unanimously confirmed that this was among the worst floods they had ever experienced.
Every year flooded, compensation is lacking
Mrroku said that his house had been flooded for the third year in a row. He said that he had never received compensation for the damages, which had made him very pessimistic about the next flood.
According to him, the situation is unlikely to change. "People are used to it. It floods once, twice, three times. No one comes to buy the house, nor to forgive it," he says.
A state of emergency was not declared, even after a week of flooding and hundreds of residents being forced to evacuate. The declaration would have forced the government to take greater responsibility for relief and compensation for those affected.
In a post on social media, Durrës Mayor Emiriana Sako said that 1,314 apartments had been verified. Of these, damage assessment reports had been issued for 527 cases.
However, residents say the process remains unclear and lacks transparency. No one has explained to them when and how they will be compensated.
Llesh Lleshaj, another resident of the area, has been displaced from his apartment. He is currently staying at the Cavalry, a government residence for official receptions.
I met Lleshi outside his house, as he had come to see the damage and the work of the firefighters who were trying to remove the water with pumps.
He said that the first night after the flood, he slept in his car. He then moved out, while the water had entered the house up to 60 centimeters high.
"All the pipes are blocked," said Lleshaj. According to him, municipal employees came only symbolically and without real intervention, despite complaints from residents of the area.
"One day the municipality came, we sat down, ate and drank... Are you done? Yes, we're done! I told them, for humanity's sake, act like you're working," Lleshaj said.
Other families are also in critical conditions and on the verge of survival. The Sina family said that so far they have only been helped by the "Fundjavë Ndryshe" association.
The furniture in the house had been taken out onto the balcony after it had become wet and was considered unusable.
"We bought them for New Year's. This year we put them on. The year found us in pieces," Entela Sina said, as her husband added that representatives of the municipality had told them to compile some documents. But he had no information about the compensation procedure.
The flooding situation brought anger and protests in front of the city hall. The citizens were also supported by opposition forces and new parties such as the Lëvizja Bashke, ASK the declaration of a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, residents of the former Këneta tried twice to meet the mayor. Emriana Sako reacted only through social media. She did not make any public statements and did not confront the protesters.
"The funds are there, the budget is there, but the administration is destroyed," Flamur Balaj said during the protest.
He said the protests will not stop without the removal of those politically responsible.
Groups opposing other urban development projects in Durrës also joined the protest. Activist Rita Kazazi criticized the government for a lack of institutional response.
"Why doesn't the prime minister declare a state of emergency? Is he afraid he'll pay them in cash? They put on their boots for a photo and run home," she said. According to her, the emergency is not declared to avoid compensation payments.
Dorina Prethi, vice president of the "Albania Becomes" Movement, said that citizens feel blackmailed.
According to her, residents are afraid that the protest will penalize them for damages.
“The right to compensation belongs to everyone,” said Prethi, adding that the funds exist, but the political will is lacking.
As the water slowly recedes, uncertainty remains. Residents of the former Swamp say floods have become a part of life, while a solution remains elusive.
Read also:
- Floods highlight crisis with emergencies and urban development
- Neither Veliera nor public tenders saved Durrës from the floods
- Albania faces climate crises without a reliable monitoring system
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
