NALAS is supporting Albanian municipalities in the earthquake response operations through a shadowing programme by bringing experienced experts from South East Europe to provide support  in earthquake affected areas in Albania. On 5 December 2019, Mr. Toni Atanasov, Director of Disaster Risk Management and Commander of the Fire Protection Unit in the municipality of Shtip, North Macedonia joined the efforts of the Fire Protection Unit in Tirana in an intervention to secure one of the buildings damaged by the earthquake in the center of Tirana.

Mr. Atanasov will work closely with his peer, Mr. Ilir Xhanaku, Commander of the Fire Protection Unit in Tirana. The field mission was preceded by a meeting with the deputy mayor of Tirana, Ms. Anuela Ristani and her team in charge of the earthquake crisis management, who thanked NALAS for the support in these very difficult moments for Albania. In the upcoming days, NALAS will provide three additional experts in disaster risk management from Turkey and Slovenia who will join their peers in the municipalities of Durres and Kruje, which have suffered the most of the damages from the earthquake.