ALBANIA

At the start of the 1990’s, Albania was a country in transition from communist dictatorship to democracy. Economic activity was virtually non-existent and endemic poverty was crippling the country. Islamic Relief has been active in Albania since the first food crisis in 1992 and began implementing projects designed to have lasting effects. These have included the provision of clean water and sanitation facilities, improvement to education facilities, vocational training centers, micro-credit, food for work projects and the one-to-one orphan program which began in 1993.

Although the worst effects of political transition in Albania seem to be over, the infrastructure is still weak, with rural areas in particular still trapped in dire poverty. A lasting commitment to this country is required by the international community in order to create a stable political and economic environment. This in turn will attract foreign investment and help raise the living standards of ordinary people.

Projects carried out by Islamic Relief have made great inroads into the worst affected sectors, but the need is still great. We are confident, however, with the support of the Albanian Government, the generosity of donors and the resilience of the Albanian people that we can go forward to meet the challenges ahead.