Earthquake / Albanian MP In Croatia: The Contribution Given By Albanians
The strong earthquake in Petrinje, Croatia caused 7 victims and over 20 injured, while the whole city was almost destroyed. The tremors still continue and many residents have been left homeless.
The Albanian MP in the Croatian Parliament, Ermira Lekaj-Prljaskaj, spoke to us about the situation there and the contribution given by the Albanians, sheltering many families who were left homeless.
She said bakers who come mainly from the Has district are continuing to distribute bread to all those affected by the quake. “There were 7 dead and over 20 injured. As we Albanians know we are humane and many Albanians who are here in Croatia and have given their contribution, the center of Petrinja was completely ruined. “They also experienced the war 20 years ago and said that this is worse than the war,” she said.
Albanians in Croatia have also opened a fundraising page to help with the aftermath of the quake. MP Lekaj-Prljaskaj also mentions the case of an Albanian family that offered help in the first minutes after the earthquake by distributing bread to those affected by the disaster.
“That day, together with me, they sent over 2,000 loaves of bread. Most of them are from Has district, and they send bread to the affected every day. “Many of them also take them to shelter in their apartments”, she said on RTV Dukagjini. About 20 thousand Albanians live in different cities in Croatia, while the Albanian MP there said that they believe that there are many more Albanians there, but that they have not been declared yet.
“In Croatia we have about 20 thousand Albanians, declared as living Albanians, but we think that there are more than that. We have a part here, when the child is born and does not have parents of Croatian origin, the spaces where the nationality is written are not filled, it is left empty so that when they reach adulthood they can choose how want to be written, how they feel. Therefore, there are many more Albanians, but they are not declared “, said Lekaj-.