Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlalbania



Albania <![CDATA[Until 2008, Albania had two main areas affected by explosive ordnance. The northeast is contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) arising largely from the Kosovo crisis of 1998–1999, when forces of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) laid extensive minefields in the border districts of Kukes, Has, and Tropoje. In addition to antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, the area contains (cluster) submunitions and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) resulting from FRY artillery and at least six NATO cluster munition strikes which fell within Albanian territory.

A general survey by the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) in 1999–2000 identified 102 affected border areas totaling some 15km2. Other parts of Albania are also believed to be contaminated by mines and ERW, following widespread looting of explosive ordnance from military depots in 1997.

Albania’s remaining, substantial stocks of obsolete munitions, held in 52 poorly maintained military depots, near populated areas, also pose a serious threat. Although Albania reports it has destroyed a large number of munitions in recent years, as of July 2008 it still had about 90,000 tons (90 million kg) of surplus dangerous munitions.

On 15 March 2008, a military depot used for the demolition of munitions, in Gerdec village, in the suburbs of Vora, about 13km from the capital, Tirana, exploded, killing 26 people and injuring 300 others, and scattering shells to four other villages and contaminating an area of approximately 3.5km2 with ERW. The explosion reportedly destroyed some 4,200 houses, 32 businesses, and 34 farms, inflicting damage estimated at US$18.75 million (€11.8 million).

There have been no mine victims in the northeast for several years but mine contamination is said to have hampered development of infrastructure in this isolated, mountainous and impoverished area. The contamination has blocked access to land and water resources needed by a population mostly dependent on subsistence farming and animal husbandry.

Casualties from landmine and ERW contamination resulting from 1998–1999 Kosovo crisis in the northeast of the country have largely ceased due to clearance and mine/ERW risk education (RE) efforts. In 2007, two people were killed and 16 injured, including nine adults (seven men and two women), and eight children (four boys and four girls); the age of one injured male was not recorded. Casualties occurred in Berat, Durres, Kukes, Librazhd, Pogradec, and Shkoder. Casualties continued to occur in 2008, with the Kukes-based NGO Victims of Mines and Arms Association-Kukesi (VMA) identifying three people killed and 11 injured in six incidents reported in the media to 4 July. ]]> <![CDATA[]]>