The significant increase in food prices has worsened the situation for thousands of families living in poverty in Albania.

The district of Gjirokastra is one of the most affected, where a large part of families with economic assistance live in areas where unemployment has been high for years.

State institutions of social protection say that in the last 6 months they have increased assistance for families with many members.

The second-hand market is one of the most populated places in Gjirokastra, an indicator of the poverty of hundreds of families who cannot provide income to meet their needs.

But recently the increase in food prices is pushing hundreds of families into survival conditions.

In one of the neighborhoods of Gjirokastra called "Blocku i furrave", Pëllumb Kuci, 55 years old, says he is unemployed and puts his name on the list to get daily bread at a food unit right next to his apartment.

"Life has become difficult as the prices have increased excessively and it is impossible to afford it.

I currently have no income, I am unemployed," he says.

Pellumbi is trying to find a job, but is also in the process of seeking economic assistance from the Municipality.

He further says that until recently they lived in the family with the pension of his father, who passed away.

"Say, with that pension of his, we used to go around, while now if I go to that grocery store, you can see that we get the bread by the list.

It is the year 2022 and we eat our bread with a list", he says.

Majlinda, a neighbor, is also in economic difficulties in her family.

She lost her economic support in the municipality after she got a temporary job, but now she is unable to work due to health problems.

"We had economic aid then, but they cut me off because I started working.

Now it is very difficult for them to return it to me, although I have told my husband to go and inquire at the municipality that they will not return it to us since I no longer go to work", she says.

Majlinda says that she asked to be included among persons with disabilities and traveled to Tirana to apply, but this has not yet been approved.

Majlinda, the son and the husband now live only on the income that the husband provides when he works part-time where he can.

The poor residents of this neighborhood in many cases receive their food with a list, says Natasha Shena, who sells in a small food unit, showing the customer's payment book.

"The work is done very badly, the prices have increased, but the salaries have not increased;

where will the poor pray, in our small shops they have them for Lek, we have them with lists" she says.

Natasha says that the prices of basic food products have increased and this increase continues for basic food items.

"Flour, sugar, rice, oil and pasta, these have increased.

Oil cost 4 thousand lek, sugar 1,300, the prime minister said these baskets will decrease, they will remain stable.

But today we received the supplies for the month and they have increased, oil 4 thousand, rice one thousand five hundred, this one is cheaper than the other by two thousand lek, dairy, yogurt, milk have also increased by one hundred lek per liter today from they were last month," she says.

For many families, Natasha has deleted the obligations on the list as they are unable to pay.

"I have no hope.

They pay half the people, not all.

There are others who do not pay, they have two years and they are gone.

Sometimes we erase them, God is helping us because we have a little work and we forgive them the obligations.

We also help people, e.g.

We give them the remaining vegetables for free because we believe in their poverty, because we were not rich either, we were poor", she says.

In the Directorate of State Social Services in Gjirokastër, the manager Magdalena Margariti says that for the period January-June 2022, the amount of economic assistance has increased.

"The regional directorate of the State Social Service treats about a thousand families with economic assistance, out of about 1100 applicants who are in the Gjirokastra District.

Families with more than three children under the age of 18 have been supported with a doubling of economic assistance for the period January - June, and other families who are treated have benefited from a 10% increase in economic assistance.

The government has continuously undertaken support programs for these families to cope with the crisis and the increase in prices and to come to their aid", she says.

Mrs. Margariti says that she does not see economic assistance as a solution for many families, but employment.

"What I want to emphasize is that economic aid is not the solution.

Economic aid is a support that the state gives to these poor families to solve some problems.

But there can be no prosperity living on economic assistance alone.

We urge people who are applicants to us or beneficiaries to be oriented towards employment.

We are collaborating intensively recently with the employment offices to guide the applicants for economic assistance, or the beneficiaries, in this direction", she says.

Mrs. Margariti says that the areas most affected by economic needs are those where unemployment levels are extremely high.

"The municipalities that have the largest number of families with economic assistance are the Municipality of Memaliaj, the Municipality of Tepelen, the Municipality of Këlcyrë, where the need for support or financial assistance is felt more for these families", she says.

The economic aid in Albania is about 80 dollars per month for about 62 thousand families throughout the country and with the increase in prices, this amount is very modest to meet the needs.

According to official data, economic assistance and unemployment payments decreased in the first 6 months of this year at the national level compared to the same period in 2021.

Economic analysts estimate that the government is sending insufficient funds to the needy classes in relation to the opportunities that have been created by the increase in income in the state budget.

The sharp rise in prices, first from the COVID-19 pandemic and now also from the war in Ukraine, has increased the need of poor families living on the edge of survival.