In Korca, located in southeastern Albania, temperatures have fallen and are soon expected to drop below 0.

Bashkim Leskoviku is even more sensitive to icy cold temperatures as the wind easily finds a way of getting into the barrack he lives in.

Energy and water are luxurious items for his family. Branches pruned from ornamental trees in the city center are their only source of heat.

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According to INSTAT, a family spends around 10% of its budget for rent, electricity, and water for an average of €68 per month, an amount that is unbearable for Bashkim and his wife Liljana, whose only source of income is social welfare.

“We get €25 in welfare. I don’t even know where to spend that money first”, Bashkim says.

But there are plenty like Bashkim’s family. In the first six months of 2021, over 64,000 received welfare, while over 5,000 are unemployed.

The average social welfare is €81 per month. Bashkim gets the lowest and that is due to several factors, such as living conditions and the number of family members. The average sum is approximately equal to costs for water, light and rent as calculated by INSTAT. But with expenses rising on these cold days one can only ask: what is left to eat?