Humanitarian Information Center

Rruga Donika Kastrioti, Tirana

E-mail: hictirana@hotmail.com E-mail: hicshqip@hotmail.com

What is the HIC?

The Humanitarian Information Center functions as an information and co-ordination Center for both international and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It is also a local NGO Resource Center. The Center is funded by UNDP. We offer the following services to the NGO Community in Albania:

HIC in the Past

The HIC was opened on 27 April 1999, to help cope with the worsening Kosovo Refugee Crisis in Albania. It was created in response to a need for information and co-ordination mainly among NGOs, the EMG (Emergency Management Group), UNHCR, the Government of Albania and Donors.

The plan of action was flexible in order to allow the Center to respond to the needs of the NGOs, EMG and the UN. The Center worked closely with the EMG, allowing it to develop an advocacy role and take an active part in the planning and management of the crisis.

On a daily basis, the NGOs, IOs and agencies used the Center to access refugee statistics, data, reference documents, UN activities listings, customs and medivac assistance information, and general advice.

The Center acted as a focal point for all NGO Reporting to the Government of Albania, assessments, meetings between UN agencies and NGOs, information sharing and problem solving. In response to a need, the center developed a database of all Camps and Collective Centers in country and identified which agency was responsible for each service at every shelter. In this way, the center took a co-ordinating role of matching needs with resources.

The Center had seconded to it staff members, from UNHCR, OSCE/KVM. Government of Albania, NATO, Soros, Albanian NGO Forum and VOICE. This allowed for interaction between NGOs and these offices without burdening the already over stretched headquarters. The EMG was also inaccessible to most people as it was located in the Prime Minister’s building. The Center provided an interface between the two groups.

The Center registered 182 International NGOs during the Crises. It was used by an average of 75 people from 56 NGOs a day (2000/month). In addition between 170-250 people a week attended the HIC organized NGO/UNHCR meetings.

The HIC – Post Peace Process

With the start of the repatriation the Center’s emphasis switched to providing information on Kosovo, mine awareness, rehabilitation and development. Despite the large numbers of aid workers who have left for Kosovo the number of agencies still working in Albania had remained largely unchanged.

After an initial lull in workload after the repatriation stated, the numbers visiting the Center and the workload picked up again. The Center was still being used by an average of 50 people from 40 NGOs a day.

The center continued to play an active role in the reshaped EMG.

The Center employed a mine expert until the end of August 1999 who plotted the mines threat in Kosovo and Albania, and carried out mines awareness training for NGOs. This became a large focus of the Centers work.

As the Shelters began to close there was a rapid decline in the security situation across the country, mostly targeted at NGOs and their goods. The EMG security desk moved into the Center to allow much easier access to NGOs and become an active member of NGO meetings. This has been a very valuable addition to the Center.

In response to the start of the spontaneous repatriation the Center set up development meetings. The purpose of these were three fold. Firstly to express to the donors the importance of long-term commitment to Albania, and to link the NGOs wishing to stay, with those donors. Secondly to start the rehabilitation and development in a co-ordianted manner which linked into the line ministries and thirdly as a visible demonstration of the NGOs plans, in hope to mitigate the rapid deterioration of the security situation.

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Last updated: September 05, 2001