By Vanessa Shehu, Staff Editor
In the middle of the night on November 26, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Albania, the second to hit the country since September. The earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 20 kilometers from the capital city, Tirana. So strong was its impact that people across the Balkan region reported that they felt the tremors.
For a mere thirty seconds, the earth shook violently, destroying 8,000 buildings across northwestern Albania, with the cities of Durres, Laç, and Thumane experiencing the most damage. The extent of the destruction in such a short time frame is difficult to fathom. 51 people died during the earthquake, 600 were injured, and more than 5,000 were displaced. Additionally, 1,200 powerful aftershocks ensued in the following week.
This earthquake came at a difficult time for the Albanian people. Albanians at home and across the world were preparing to celebrate 107 years of independence on November 28. While the celebratory events were cut short, the Albanian spirit nevertheless resounded.
Those who are fortunate are currently living in tents provided by volunteer relief organizations and meager government funds. Others have left the country to stay temporarily in neighboring Kosovo or survive outdoors in the numbing winter weather. For an economically developing country like Albania, the damages have been detrimental.
Human tragedy knows no borders, ethnicity, or race. When wars, poverty, or natural disasters strike, our hearts mourn as one. Nevertheless, we are, by human nature, susceptible to apathy by separation. The world is hurting, and when we hear saddening news, it is very tempting to turn off our televisions and block out the sorrows of others. Unfortunately, distance—both physical and socially constructed—enables us to separate ourselves from the suffering of others. This is an easy habit to fall into, but it will ultimately hurt us.
The plight of the United States is the plight of Canada is the plight of Mexico is the plight of Syria is the plight of you and I. Who will support us in times of need if we do not come to the aid of others?
As a first-generation Albanian-American, I keep thinking of my own liminality. My heart aches for the people of Albania, yet I sit in the comfort and privilege of my American upbringing, I have donated to the relief efforts, I have posted the quintessential message on Facebook, and yet I feel guilty inside. I think to myself, why am I safe while others are not? Why do I sleep in a warm bed while others sleep on the cold ground?
I think back to that night of November 26. It was 3:54:12 A.M. local time when the earthquake struck. People were asleep, unsuspecting of the natural disaster that would befall them. I think back to what I was doing in that moment. It was about 10 P.M. for me; I sat in my Bryn Mawr dorm room, awaiting Thanksgiving break. Perhaps I was stressing about upcoming deadlines, or perhaps I was wasting away my time scrolling through social media. I ask you all to consider your whereabouts in that moment. What were you doing?
I feel hurt that the suffering of Albania goes unnoticed and ignored, because we are not a world power, because we are a small, developing country that seems like a tiny speck on the world map. But we are so much more than this. We are a country of seven million united. The West’s mass media platforms might not see our plight, but millions of Albanians worldwide have galvanized a booming grassroots movement to rebuild Albania and to come to the aid of those affected by this disaster. Our stories might not be plastered on the front pages, but we have a voice that demands to be heard.
I have the privilege to spread awareness and to call on the world to see and recognize the plight of my people. I have a duty to use it. There is a poignant quote by Dr. Maya Angelou that has long stuck with me: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” For centuries under Ottoman occupation, the writing and publishing of Albanian history by Albanians was punishable by imprisonment. Thus, as I sit here and tell this story to you all, I feel relieved to be able to bring a glimpse of awareness to this tragedy. I feel closure.
Thanks to the power of social media, the international Albanian community has done wonderful things in the matter of two weeks. Fundjavë Ndryshe, an Albanian charity, has raised almost two million dollars. Despite experiencing the damages themselves, thousands of volunteers are working day and night to help. In Kosovo, people have opened their homes to hundreds of displaced individuals. Albanian-American singer Bebe Rexha has personally raised roughly $10,000, even traveling to Albania this past week. While there, she helped finance the reconstruction of two families homes. Albanian-British Singer Dua Lipa has created a clothing line for which all the proceeds will go to the earthquake relief efforts. New York City Councilman Mark Gjonaj has helped raise $20,000 toward relief efforts with the help of the citizens of the Bronx, New York.
While the Albanian people have done a lot of work, it could not be achieved without the outpouring of support, volunteer work, and charity of people across the international community. We owe a deep thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who came to Albania’s aid from across the Balkans. Part of the reason we were able to save so many lives was the volunteer relief workers who risked their own to pull survivors from the rubble. We are filled with hope by the thousands of donors who have offered portions of their livelihoods. Over twenty thousand people donated to the GoFundMe account created by Fundjavë Ndryshe. Every cent makes a world of difference, and equally as important is the solidarity that has arisen from this tragic time. To see the international community’s support has ignited a flame in our own relief efforts. To be seen and heard is irreplaceable.
The resilience of our people never ceases to amaze me. In the last 75 years, we have faced an oppressive communist regime and the horrors of two mass genocides. Nevertheless, we persevere. While a great deal of work remains to be done, we are strong in the face of tragedy. I firmly believe those who fought for our freedom would be proud to witness the unity that arose from those powerful thirty seconds that shook Albania and awoke its spirit.
Image credit: The Washington Post
