Rescuers in Durres, western Albania. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu
Albania Earthquake Diplomacy

The IDF on Tuesday dispatched a humanitarian aid delegation to Albania following the devastating earthquake in which over 50 people died and thousands were injured.

By TPS

A 6.4-magnitude quake struck Albania’s capital of Tirana last Tuesday morning, the most powerful earthquake to hit Albania in decades.

In response, an IDF delegation including 10 experts from Home Front Command, were sent to assist with the damage assessment and help in organizing and managing the relief efforts in the disaster area.

The IDF experts will conduct an in-depth examination of buildings in the area to determine which buildings are safe to use, and will also advise decision-makers in the country on the steps needed to manage the disaster.

The delegation is equipped with technological equipment and control systems developed in Israel and is also bringing waterproof tents that were purchased by Israel’s Foreign Ministry for the Albanian government that will serve as a shelter for the population that has been evacuated from its homes.

The IDF will “continue to assist, in the name of the State of Israel, in whatever disaster require[s] [us to help], and contribute its experience and capabilities worldwide,” it stated.

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz stated that “Israel is rushing aid to its friend, Albania. This aid mission is testament to the excellent relations between the two countries and the close dialogue they have been maintaining over the past few years, both on the governmental level and between the peoples.”​

The IDF’s famed Search and Rescue Unit has been deployed to disaster locations across the globe, including in Ghana in 2012, Nepal in 2015, and Mexico City in 2017.