U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)

U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT FOR KOSOVO

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Situation Report 5 - April 5, 1999

Key Facts and New Developments

The U.S. is prepared to provide temporary asylum for up to 20,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees as part of a multi-nation response to share the burden of providing for the hundreds of thousands of refugees massed in Macedonia and Albania. The details are being worked out and will be announced shortly.

Other countries are making similar offers and the first group of refugees is scheduled to depart shortly - one for Norway and another for Turkey.

The systematic expulsion of Kosovo Albanians continues. Over 395,000 refugees have been forced into neighboring countries during the last 12 days. There are now over 244,000 in Albania and 136,000 in Macedonia including several thousand waiting to cross the border. This brings the total of refugees and internally displaced to over 850,000 since March 1998 (see attached chart).

NATO is providing assistance, in coordination with UNHCR, to the refugees in Macedonia. A center has now been established to provide food, medical care and shelter to many of the refugees trapped in no-man's land between Kosovo and Macedonia.

Tents, plastic sheeting, humanitarian daily rations, and other supplies have begun to arrive in the region from the United States and other countries.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott visited Albania and Macedonia over the weekend to assess the situation of the refugees first hand.

 Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Julia Taft is leading an inter-agency delegation to a UNHCR-chaired meeting in Geneva today to coordinate humanitarian assistance and the offers of temporary refuge for the Kosovo Albanians.

The United States has provided over $150 million for humanitarian assistance for the region since March 1998, $50 million of which was authorized by the President on March 31. (See attached charts).

Background

Serb offensives in late December caused displacements of several thousand people. These displacements continued in January, and February. Following the breakdown of the Rambouillet talks and the withdrawal of the Organization for Security and Cooperation Kosovo Verification Mission on March 20, conflict between the two sides intensified. By the time NATO airstrikes began on March 24, tens of thousands of Kosovo Albanians were already fleeing heavy fighting throughout Kosovo.

Current Situation

Serb forces continue to systematically expel Kosovo Albanians. According to latest estimates, over 395,000 Kosovo Albanians have become refugees or displaced over the ten days, bringing the total number of refugees and internally displaced since March 1998 to over 855,000.

NATO and UNHCR are coordinating relief operations to provide assistance to the refugees in the countries in the region. The World Food Program has pre-positioned food in Albania and further shipments are being directed to the region. Other international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and non-governmental organizations are also engaged in the relief effort.

State Department Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Julia Taft is leading a comprehensive USG interagency response to the humanitarian crisis. The USG is working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other relief organizations to increase their capacity to respond to the crisis. USAID has two Disaster Assistance Response Teams comprised of State Department and USAID officials in Albania and Macedonia to assess the emergency response plans and requirements in order to meet the urgent humanitarian needs.

Members of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission staff have arrived in Albania today to help with humanitarian efforts.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Ogata will visit Italy, Albania and Macedonia April 7-9.

Kosovo Refugee/IDP Summary Sheet
source: UNHCR
				as of 4/2, 0415 est  as of 4/5/99 est 6:00
				NEW ARRIVALS  GRAND
		3/98-3/24/99			last 24 hours	TOTAL since 3/24			TOTAL
IDPs	Kosovo	260,000			-	-	/1		260,000
In FRY	Montenegro	25,000			2,700	35,700			60,700
	Serbia	30,000			-	-			30,000
		315,000			2,700	35,700	/1		350,700
Refugees	Albania	18,500			22,000	226,000			244,500
	Bosnia	10,000			1,900	7,900			17,900
	Bulgaria	-			-	-			-
	Croatia	-			-	330			330
	"Europe"	100,000			-	-			100,000
	Greece	-			-	-			-
	Hungary	-			-	-			-
	Italy	-			-	-			-
	FYROMacedonia	16,000			5,000	120,000			136,000
	Romania	-			-	-			-
	Slovenia	-			-	-			-
	Turkey	-			-	6,000			6,000
		144,500			28,900	360,230			504,730
TOTAL		459,500			31,600	395,930	/1		855,430
/1 Does not include estimates of IDPs in Kosovo due to lack of verifiable reporting on the ground. It is estimated, however that there could be as many as 400-500,000 internally displaced in Kosovo.