Heavy snowfalls limited transport movement and cut communication with several villages. In addition, electricity lines were cut in some regions, leading to week-long shortages.
FYR Macedonia: Cold Wave - Dec 2014
Disaster description
On 28 December 2014, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was hit by heavy snowfalls that resulted in snow drifts, two meters high in some places, limiting the movement of all types of vehicles on many highways and mountain corridors, cutting the communication with a number of mountain villages. The electricity lines were also cut in some of the regions, the most affected ones being Ohrid, Struga, Debar, Kichevo, Skopje, and Makedonski Brod. (IFRC, 15 Jan 2015)
Lessons learned
After finalizing the operation, the Red Cross of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia organized a two-day “lessons learned” workshop. The workshop was held from 6 to 8 March 2015 in the Training Centre “Solferino” in Struga. The workshop was organized for participants from the local branches and the City Red Cross Branch of Skopje that covered the affected areas and the neighbouring ones. The participants (staff and volunteers) of the workshop were involved in the operation, and were able to discuss the operation from their first-hand experience. The staff and volunteers from 11 RC local branches and City Red Cross of Skopje (42 people) participated on the workshop, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, who were jointly working with the City Red Cross Branch of Skopje in the Homeless Centre. IFRC Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Extreme Winter Condition Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) DREF Operation n° MDRMK003 final report, June 11
