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Mr. Murphey McCloy, Jr , the Senior Advisor for the Humanitarian Demining Program from the US State Department, Visits the Mine Action Program in Albania. |
| November 10, 2005 |
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| The Senior Programme Coordinator from the United States Department of State Mr. Murphey McCloy, Jr, accompanied by the USA Political Officer in Tirana Mr. Zhu Ningchuan, visted the Mine Action Program in Albania from November 1-8, 2005. The main objective of this visit was to assess the progress of the various Mine Action projects funded by the US State Department in accordance with the National Mine Action Strategy and to discuss Mine Action planning for 2006. The US State Department has been one of the main donors of the Albanian Mine Action Programme since 1999. |
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| During a meeting held at the Albanian Mine Action Executive (AMAE) office on November 1, the US representatives were briefed on the general progress of the mine action activities in the country, and the various challenges faced and achievements made. The AMAE Director expressed his appreciation for the generous support of the US Government since 1999 and in particular Mr. McCloy's specific role since the commencement of the humanitarian demining operations in Albania. |
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Mr. McCloy also visited the Military Hospital and met with the Director of the National Prosthetic Center (NPC), Dr. Haruni. Mr. McCloy and Dr. Haruni discussed the project proposal in progress for the reconstruction of a new NPC, which has already been prepared by the Albanian Government and has been distributed for funding requests to various international donors. The construction of a new NPC is particularly important to advance the physical rehabilitation standards provided to mine and UXO survivors in Albania. |
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During November 7-8, 2005 Mr. McCloy visited Northeast Albania, including the Danish Church Aid-Act Headquarters in Korenica, the AMAE Regional office in Kukes, the Kukes Regional Hospital and the Victims of Mines and Weapons Association. During this visit Mr. McCloy was able to see first hand the ongoing demining operations in the mine contaminated areas and expressed the US State Department support in resolving Albania's landmine problem. Mr. McCloy was accompanied during his visit to northeast Albania by the AMAE Director and the Regional Director of Handicap International.
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Tripartite Review Mission in Kukes Region |
| October 06-07, 2005 |
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EC, UNDP & Government representatives to Kukes |
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Field Demonstration by DCA-Act
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On October 6-7, 2005 a Tripartite Review Mission visited the Kukes region to monitor and review the European Commission (EC) funded and UNDP executed "Kukes Regional Development Initiative (KRDI)" and the "Technical Survey and Clearance (TSC)" Mine Action Programme projects. The Mission was comprised of the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and other government representatives, as well as high level authorities from UNDP Albania and the European Commission Delegation in Tirana.
The EUR 2 million EC funded Technical Survey and Clearance Project implemented by UNDP restarted in early 2004. The project aims to contribute to the completion of high and medium impact mine/UXO contaminated areas and to establish a sustainable National Clearance Capacity (NCC). After 2006, the NCC is planned to function as a national entity to fulfill the clearance of the remaining areas presently considered of low impact.
The EUR 2.74 million funded KRDI project began in February 2005 and will complete in 2007. The project aims to improve basic infrastructure (such as water supply systems, sewer systems, and school reconstruction) for the poorest villages in the Kukes District through having communities identify their priority needs and contribute through in-kind support to achieving the project's goals. Mine-cleared villages have been identified as priority for the KRDI program.
Briefings were provided in the UNDP Kukes Regional Office upon arrival on the progress of the KRDI and TSC projects. Representatives from the local government as well as other organizations working in the area were also present. Governmental authorities thanked the European Commission's contribution to the Kukes Region and reiterated the will of the Albanian Government to work closely with international organizations in order to alleviate the poverty from the country's poorest region.
On October 7, 2005 the Tripartite Review Mission visited the TSC project base in Golaj village, which was established by Danish Church Aid (DCA-Act). DCA-Act was subcontracted by UNDP Albania to implement the project in the field. The DCA-Act Programme Manager provided a short briefing on the project status and responded to questions raised by the participants. The briefing was followed by a visit to a TSC minefield site where the participants had the opportunity to see first hand a mine clearance demonstration.
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Second Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Training for Albanian Nurses Working with Mine Victims in the Kukes Prefecture
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| September 19-23 2005 |
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In the framework of the UNDP Reintegration of Landmine/UXO Survivors programme, a Community Based Rehabilitation Network (CBR Network) was established by the local NGO-Victims of Mines and Weapons Association (VMA) and coordination by the Albanian Mine Action Executive (AMAE). The CBR Network aims to improve mine victims' access to, and quality of, health care services in the Kukes Prefecture.The CBR network is comprised of 30 nurses residing and working in the mine affected areas, as well as 3 |
| medical specialists from Kukes Hospital (1 physiotherapist, 1 neurologist, and prosthetic repair technician). |
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| In order to reduce the mine/UXO impact and support landmine victims, UNDP organized a series of 2 community based rehabilitation trainings to improve the nurses' ability to provide immediate and long term medical and rehabilitation care for landmine/UXO victims. The first training took place in November 2004 and the second training was organized for September 19-23 2005. The trainers for the second training included one physiotherapist, one physiatrist, and one nurse from Ljubljana, Slovenia, as well as one physiotherapist from Kukes Hospital, who all have extensive experience treating mine/UXO survivors, applying modern practices to field conditions. The CBR trainings have provided extensive knowledge for the nurses and support in establishing the basis for a solid network of health care providers that local practitioners may consult with for further support in addressing the long term needs of mine victims.
Through the course of the second training, AMAE had the opportunity to assess the physical resources of village health centres and clinics and evaluate the conditions in which these local health care practitioners are working. Through this, the Albanian Mine Action Programme (AMAP) aims to create a standard of health care which all village health centres may soon achieve and build upon in the future through regular contact and consultation among CBR Network members. |
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Triage of Mine/UXO Survivors |
| September 15-16 2005 |
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On September 15-16 2005, the fifth triage of persons injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) was organized in Northeast Albania by the Albanian Mine Action Programme (AMAP). The aim of the triage is to physically rehabilitate mine/UXO survivors and to determine which mine/UXO survivors would be treated at the National Prosthetic Centre (NPC) in Tirana and those classified as difficult cases to be treated at the Slovenian Institute of Rehabilitation in Ljubljana. The team of medical specialists was made up of prosthetic/orthotic technicians from the NPC and the Slovenian Institute and coordination of the event was done by AMAE with the local NGO-VMA. The team examined a total of 44 mine/UXO survivors in Tropoja, Has, and Kukes and selected 20 persons to send to Slovenia for treatment and 8 persons to send to the NPC in Tirana.
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