The population of 53,000 are mostly ethnic Albanian, many are devout Roman Catholic with a substantial Moslem minority. The majority of the population live in small villages and scattered hamlets with the main towns being Bajze and Koplick, the latter being the administrative centre. In the winter there is up to 2m of snow in the mountainous villages. The economy of the area is subsistance farming which is currently at a low level of production because of water supply and irrigation problems.
The hardline communist regime which existed from 1945 until its downfall in 1991 effectively kept Albania isolated from the rest of the world. As well as severe persecution and oppression of large numbers of Albanian people, particularly in MeM, the economic and social development was severely retarded. Since 1991 with the collapse of the economy, there has been mass unemployment and a drift to the cities in search of work. The GDP is comparable to some of the poorest of African countries. An average Albanian family needs $200/month to live off, but 5400 MeM families try to survive on as little as $10-$15 monthly subsidy from the state.
A typical example of the destitution is the Dod Pretash Deda family, who come from near Bajze. Dod the head of the family at 50 years of age died through heart disease early in 1998. They have no income support, nor other sources of money except a small piece of unwatered, infertile land and a cow. His widow, Tone, has to bring up the family. Both Kastrioti and Jolanda had to stop school in order to help their mother because of the situation. Petriti's bones are crumbling and need an operation, but there is no finance. 50% of the children of MeM are under weight, 30% suffer chronic malnutrition/stunting and 10% acute wasting malnutrition (UNICEF report, May 1997). Lulezimi and Suela remain at school at the moment. It takes several hours a day just to collect water. As the family is in extreme difficulty they are helped by their impoverished neighbours with basic essentials only and a UK linked family: "FAMILIES TOGETHER".
Other families in the MeM area are in similar plights, it is estimated that half the adult population have lost their savings due to the collapse of the Pyramid investment schemes that caused violent rioting and anarchy across the country in 1997.
Riot damage in Shkoder
