A digest of the latest refugee news,
as reported by the world's media.

KOSOVO: AID NEEDED URGENTLY, SAYS UNHCR 7 Jun. 99 – Ethnic Albanians still in Kosovo urgently need international help before refugees start returning home, UN officials said Friday, reports AP. "At the moment, the people inside Kosovo are basically left to their fate, and we hope that the acceptance of the peace agreement will quickly change that fate, but of course we're not sure," said UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski. International aid workers have been unable to care for the people of Kosovo since they withdrew before NATO airstrikes. Refugees have said many people left behind are short of food and living in hiding. "Our plan is to look after the people who are already in Kosovo first, to stabilise the population of Kosovo first which is in the worst shape food-wise, health-wise, probably terrified," said Janowski. WFP's Christiane Berthiaume said UN agencies have enough food for refugees as long as they stay in neighbouring countries, but it will take time to move it into Kosovo. Reuters adds that Austria has agreed to join the Focus humanitarian aid group for Kosovo refugees in Yugoslavia which was formed by Switzerland, Russia and Greece, the Swiss foreign ministry said yesterday. [UN officials hope to help people still in Kosovo before million – www.ap.org; Austria joins tripartite Kosovo aid group Focus – www.reuters.com]

KOSOVO: SERBS FLEEING 7 Jun. 99 – The massive deportation campaign of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo may, in the end, have one startling and unintended consequence: Kosovo may be cleansed, but of Serbs, reports the Washington Post. Despite the West's public commitment to the protection of the rights of Serbian civilians in the province, their presence will be a continuing flashpoint, according to angry refugees. And if fearful Serbs abandon Kosovo, as seems likely, an all-ethnic Albanian Kosovo will eventually represent a serious challenge to the West's commitment to the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia. One Western diplomat said that 100,000 Serbian civilians have left Kosovo since the NATO air campaign began on March 24 and many of the remaining 100,000 are expected to follow soon. In interviews with refugees in camps in Mullet, Durres and Tirana many refugees said co-existence is impossible, let alone reconciliation. AFP adds the US Defence Department said Saturday that Kosovo may not be a "happy place" for its Serbian minority, and many may wish to leave as a NATO force ensures Kosovan Albanian refugees' return. Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said: "I think they will want to return to Serbia," adding, "the Serb minority will be allowed to stay if it wants to stay." He also said a number of Kosovo's Serbs were reportedly looking to leave. [Albanian Kosovars Thirst for Revenge Against Serbs – www.washingtonpost.com]

ALBANIA: BORDER POPULATION FLEES SHELLS 7 Jun. 99 – Yugoslavia's apparent capitulation was followed by fresh terror for some refugees, reports Reuters. Refugees on the Albanian border described yesterday how they were forced to flee in panic during the night as Serbian artillery shells pounded the area. The villages of Vlahane and Nikoliq and the town of Krume faced a heavy barrage of fire on Friday and Saturday. An 18-year-old woman was killed, several people were injured and at least 1,000 people were evacuated yesterday. The Krume area is home to some 19,000 Kosovo refugees. The New York Times reports war raged as fiercely as ever yesterday along the border, forcing some 1,000 people from Krume -many of them refugees -fleeing for the second time at least. Military and aid officials said the surge in fighting seemed driven by a simple logic for all three warring parties – NATO, the Serbs and the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army – to destroy as much as possible before a final peace agreement is signed. The Guardian reports thousands of frightened Kosovan refugees were fleeing into the valleys after a bombardment for which foreign monitors could see no military justification. [Kosovo refugees flee Serb shelling in Albania – www.reuters.com; Kosovo Warfare Retains Its Fury as Refugees Wait for a Final Pact – www.nytimes.com; Defiant Serbs rain shells on border villages – www.guardian.co.uk]

MACEDONIA: EVACUATION STILL SOUGHT 7 Jun. 99 – Despite prospects of a Serbian military withdrawal from Kosovo, refugees at Stenkovec camp in Macedonia, say they do not think they will be returning home anytime soon and are still queuing up for evacuation to the West, reports AFP. The Times on Saturday reported aid workers patiently tried to explain to thousands of Kosovan refugees in camps in Macedonia Friday that it could be many months before a peace deal allowed them all to go home. Families stood beside coaches that were waiting to take them to flights for Sweden and Germany, debating whether to make the journey. Meanwhile Reuters reports Macedonia said on Friday Kosovo refugees were unlikely to return home soon after a peace deal and urged aid agencies to help them through the searing Balkan summer and harsh winter. "We cannot expect a rapid return of refugees in one, two or even five months," said Defence Minister Nikola Kljusev. [Sceptical Kosovars still lining up to leave for West – www.afp.com; 'My house is burnt, my land has gone -so where do I go?' – www.the-times.co.uk; Macedonia sees no quick refugee return – www.reuters.com]

MACEDONIA: MOB ATTACKS GYPSIES IN CAMP 7 Jun. 99 – Aid workers and US officials rushed to the Stenkovec refugee camp early yesterday to stop an angry mob of refugees beating up a man believed to be a Serb collaborator, reports Reuters. UNHCR spokeswoman Paula Ghedini said a new refugee from Kosovo had recognised a man, a gypsy, who he said, had collaborated with Serbs in burning houses in Podujevo. A mob formed, attacked the man and one of his friends, beating them badly, she said. Aid workers tried to protect the men. Police were called and the US ambassador to Macedonia to try to calm the situation. AFP reports Macedonian TV yesterday said four people were badly injured at the camp. The New York Times reports the attack was part of a four-hour siege where a mob of several thousand Kosovo Albanian refugees tried to seize and beat the Gypsy family. It illustrated the chaos NATO forces could face in Kosovo when refugees return – and NATO's reluctance to get involved. Many of the Albanians could arrive home intent on exacting revenge on former Serbian and Gypsy neighbours who attacked Kosovo Albanians or destroyed their homes. Other Gypsies in the camp were being "hunted like dogs," aid workers said, and tried to hide them. Ghedini said 17 Gypsies were evacuated from the camp. [Refugees attack alleged Serb collaborator in camp – www.reuters.com; Four badly injured in fight in Macedonian refugee camp – www.afp.com; Kosovar Attack on Gypsies Reveals Desire for Revenge – www.nytimes.com]

ITALY: HUNDREDS MORE ARRIVE 7 Jun. 99 – A ship carrying 351 Kosovans docked in southeast Italy yesterday after the refugees threatened to throw children overboard if police prevented them from leaving Albanian waters, reports Reuters. The boat was intercepted just off the Albanian coast near Durres on Saturday but its crew ignored entreaties not to sail for Italy, police said. The vessel eventually stopped off the Italian coast on Saturday night and the crew requested help from authorities. Passengers needing medical aid – mostly women and children – were taken to Brindisi, where the ship docked early yesterday and two Albanian crew members were arrested. A further 420 Kosovo Albanians, carrying counterfeit travel documents, arrived in Brindisi on three ferries yesterday and 110 more were discovered on beaches to the north of the port. The Washington Post reports thousands of refugees housed in run-down shelters in Albania have set their sights on Italian shores. If they make it, they are guaranteed political asylum by Italian authorities that are trying to turn them back. The smugglers charge up US$636 for every person crossing, and several hundred ethnic Albanians have crossed every night since NATO's air assault on Yugoslavia began. More than 6,000 refugees have landed on beaches along the heel of Italy in the past week. [Hundreds of Kosovan refugees hit Italian shores – www.reuters.com; Albanian Smugglers Prey on Refugees Fleeing to Italy – www.washingtonpost.com]

KOSOVANS: 600 LEAVE FRIDAY 7 Jun. 99 – More than 600 ethnic Albanians left Kosovo on Friday, UNHCR said Saturday, as talks for a complete Serb withdrawal from the war-torn province got under way, reports AFP. Some 410 Kosovar refugees arrived in Macedonia Friday, including 73 who crossed at the offical Blace border post, UNHCR spokesman Jacques Franquin said. Around 131 people crossed the border into northern Albania. The new arrivals included a large group of men released from a prison in Lipjlan, south of the Kosovo capital of Pristina, he said. Some 67 ethnic Albanians entered the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro. [Ethnic Albanians continue to leave Kosovo amid peace moves – www.afp.com]

KOSOVANS: RETURNS COULD BE CHAOTIC 7 Jun. 99 – UNHCR officials warned yesterday of possible disarray and chaos in the return of ethnic refugees to homes in Kosovo, saying many refugees are overly optimistic, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur. UNHCR spokesman Jacques Franquin said most refugees were sceptical and afraid to return, but news of the peace agreement had spread through refugee camps, spawning exaggerated rumours. Reuters adds UNHCR and NATO forces could take weeks to do all the work they say is needed before the refugees can return. But can refugees sweltering in tents abroad be so patient? Won't they just go home? Will some step on mines, fall for booby traps or become snipers' prey in their haste? The Financial Times reports refugees in the region have been given some sense of hope by the prospect of a peace settlement, but have seen and suffered too much to take hasty decisions, when so much remains uncertain. The Times reports it is likely to be months before the first refugees return. Rural Kosovans are likely to be the first as the countryside has not been as devastated as the cities. The Guardian reports aid officials in Macedonia said they had never seen such a 'return-oriented' community. [UN warns of possible disarray in return of refugees – www.dpa.com; Aid officials worried about Kosovo refugees' return – www.reuters.com; Hopes of peace fail to ease doubts of fearful refugees – www.ft.com; Refugees will wait months to go home – www.the-times.co.uk; Refugees eager for early return home – www.guardian.co.uk]

KOSOVANS: UNHCR PLANS 4-STAGE REPATRIATION 7 Jun. 99 – UN refugee chief Sadako Ogata said Friday that UNHCR had already made preparations for helping Kosovan Albanian refugees return to their homes in Kosovo, reports Reuters. Ogata, in Bosnia, suggested it was too early to say whether a major return might take place this summer. "We'll have to see, we are already preparing for the winter," she said. "The most important thing is: how do you ensure security in Kosovo in a way that people will feel comfortable to go back?" Meanwhile BBC News reports UNHCR has urged caution over how quickly the hundreds of thousands of displaced people can return to normal life. UNHCR's Daniel Endres said international bodies would be trying to stop refugees flooding back until security is guaranteed. UNHCR's proposed repatriation operation is divided into four phases: Preparation for return; Resumption of humanitarian operations in Kosovo; Promoting repatriation; and Sustainable reintegration. The Washington Post reports Irene Kahn, who heads UNHCR's office in Skopje, said the group's largest constraint will be the presence of explosive mines along major roads. So UNHCR has printed 300,000 "mine awareness" leaflets in Albanian. UNHCR's first priority will be to provide basic aid to those who are already in Kosovo, Kahn said. Its second priority will be to arrange the return refugees from camps and homes in neighbouring nations. The return of those refugees already airlifted to Europe and the United States will have a lesser priority, and they may spend the winter where they are. [UNHCR says prepared for Kosovo refugee returns – www.reuters.com; Will the refugees go home? – http://news.bbc.co.uk; Allies, Yugoslavs Adjourn Without Finding Accord – www.washingtonpost.com]

KOSOVANS: REBUILDING CHALLENGE 7 Jun. 99 – War in Kosovo may be ending, but for the people who once inhabited the province, the challenge of rebuilding their lives is just beginning, reports BBC News. Those who survived will be going back to a land that has been heavily mined, with little remaining infrastructure, and more than 80% of houses destroyed. NATO has already warned both sides not to take advantage of withdrawing Yugoslav troops to exact reprisals. The Albanians will be bringing little back with them, except memories of their treatment at the hands of the Serbs. The Washington Post reports that emptying Kosovo of half its population of ethnic Albanians required roughly two months' work by 40,000 Yugoslav troops and Serb police. But enabling these refugees to return to their homes and remake their lives will require billions of dollars of Western aid and a peacekeeping force that will likely be at least one-third larger and remain in Kosovo for many years. The International Herald Tribune reports rebuilding Kosovo and enabling refugees to resume their lives there may prove more manageable than might appear at first glance. Success could be easier than in Bosnia as Kosovo contains only one big ethnic group, ethnic Albanians – in contrast with rival groups of Serbs, Croats and Muslims in Bosnia. [Piecing Kosovo together - http://news.bbc.co.uk; Reconstruction of Kosovo Will Take Longer Than War – www.washingtonpost.com; The Rebuilding: Experience of Bosnia Offers Some Guidelines – www.iht.com]

KOSOVANS: REGION NEEDS $2.2bn 7 Jun. 99 – Initial estimates for the cost of rebuilding Kosovo are based on the experience of Bosnia, where 250,000 people were killed, 1m were displaced internally, more than 1m fled the country and the economy shrank to a third of its pre-war level, reports the Financial Times. External financing for reconstruction in Bosnia is estimated at about US$5bn from 1996 to 1999, including housing reconstruction, repatriating refugees, clearing landmines, rebuilding utilities, schools, transport and telecommunications. Kosovo's population of 2m is less than half of Bosnia and the economy was less developed. The European Commission tentatively estimates the cost at US$2bn-$3.5bn during the next three years. Reuters reports the IMF and the World Bank said the humanitarian costs, caused by the flood of refugees out of Kosovo, coupled with the disruption of trade in the region, would require financing of US$2.2bn for the six neighbouring countries most affected. [Cost of rebuilding the battered Balkans – www.ft.com; Cost of Kosovo war rising, IMF and World Bank say – www.reuters.com]

KOSOVANS: COURAGEOUS CIVILIANS, AID WORKERS 7 Jun. 99 – In the contest of courage in Kosovo, NATO armed forces are being upstaged from unexpected quarters: refugees and humanitarian workers, says Anna Husarska of the New York-based Media Studies Centre, in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. Ethnic Albanians who flee from Serb repression often walk through minefields and venture across genuine battlegrounds in the north of Albania. They are not driven by heroism; they are simply choosing the lesser chance of death. But it is a risk deemed too high for NATO troops or even Apache helicopters. Sometimes, thankfully not too often, the refugees get hit by NATO bombs, because alliance pilots fly too high to distinguish refugees' tractors from military convoys. This week, it is the humanitarian workers who are pushing the boundaries of courage. They are planning to airdrop food rations to starving ethnic Albanians hiding in the mountains of Kosovo. This particular initiative belongs to the International Rescue Committee, known for its gutsy projects in Bosnia: Apparently the alliance has considered and rejected the option as too dangerous. [Who's Got the Courage? Aid Workers – www.latimes.com]

KOSOVO NOTES 7 Jun. 99 – Reuters reports the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has proposed that a future international civilian administration in Kosovo should be led by a "single individual" whom he would appoint, and who would supervise the return of refugees and organise reconstruction. Reuters reports the West's top peace envoy for Bosnia said Saturday the international community should set up a protectorate in Kosovo to guarantee the return of refugees.

This document is intended for public information purposes only. It is not an official UN document.