Regional: Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Kosovo

Source: UNHCR Geneva.

Albania

• UNHCR headquarters estimates that there are 433,400 refugees in Albania. No refugee arrivals were reported on May 20.
• The Government of Albania (GOA) Emergency Management Group (EMG) estimates that throughout Albania there are 68,909 refugees in tent camps, 91,323 in collective centers and 305,592 with host families. On May 19, The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) estimated that there are 37,360 Albanian families hosting refugees.
• The EMG estimates that there are 131,890 refugees in the northern Districts. 1,355 refugees were transferred from Kukes Prefecture to points in southern and central Albania on May 20.
• UNHCR is in the process of registering all refugees in Albania. The registration information is being recorded using computer equipment. All registered refugees are issued ID cards as a way to track their movement, which will help to decrease double counting.
• The registered refugee population at the U.S. Government (USG) -funded Camp Hope is 2350, and is expected to reach its current capacity of 2,500 on May 21. Camp Hope will begin processing and admitting more refugees on Monday, May 24.
• The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) reports that the second USG-funded refugee camp, named Camp Eagle, has received final site approval by local officials. The camp is located approximately 14 km from Fier, and is situated on GOA-owned land. CARE will operate and manage the camp.
• The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in Albania reports that a promising site has been identified near Elbasan for a third USG-funded refugee camp. Further evaluation of the locale will continue next week.
• IFRC is targeting 291,729 refugees or 37,360 host families with its food parcel distributions. These target figures are based on UNHCR's registration process, and IFRC is only targeting registered refugees.
• Three factories in Albania are producing 30,000 food parcels per day for IFRC's host family distribution program. IFRC reports that the current production capability of the factories, in combination with the U.N. World Food Program's (WFP) assistance, is sufficient to meet the immediate needs of refugees staying with host families. All food distributions to host families occur either once or twice per month, depending on the size of the food parcel.
• IFRC is distributing one food parcel per refugee staying with host families. IFRC is also distributing one food parcel to each host family to help meet the food requirements of the individual members of the host families. By the first week of June, IFRC plans to have distributed one month worth of food parcels to all host families and to all refugees staying with host families. Distributions will be completed in Korce and Elbasan first.
• To date, IFRC has distributed 1,195 hygiene kits to host families, and will soon begin the distribution of another 3,000. IFRC also plans to distribute 100,000 blankets to host families.
• WFP reports that it is establishing field offices in Lezha, Gjirokastra and Vlora, and that arrangements for EDP (extended distribution point) storage facilities in all 12 prefectures are being finalized.
• WFP reports that 100 metric tons (MT) of HDRs (Humanitarian Daily Rations) arrived from Skopje on May 19. Utilization of HDRs, Meals Ready to Eat, High Energy and High Protein Biscuits, and other ready-to eat food items remains high with the continuing movement of refugees from Kukes to points south.

Macedonia

• UNHCR headquarters estimates that there are currently 226,300 refugees in Macedonia, 2,700 of whom arrived on May 20. 2,110 refugees were transferred by air to third countries on May 20. UNHCR reports that 75,900 refugees are living in camps and transit centers and 120,432 refugees are living with host families (registered by the Macedonian Red Cross). UNHCR reports government estimates that 30,000 unregistered refugees are living elsewhere in Macedonia.
• The DART in Macedonia reports that Senokos camp has reached its full capacity.

• According to the DART, only three of the eight refugee camps in Macedonia are capable of providing hot meals. Of the total 77,100 refugees living in the camps, only 7,500 refugees are receiving cooked meals. The camps with cooking facilities are Radusa, Senekos, and Bojane. The agencies that are managing the remaining five refugee camps are exploring options for providing kitchen facilities.
• UNHCR has begun meeting in Macedonia with representatives of health sector non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that used to operate in Kosovo. This is part of the overall UNHCR contingency planning for the return of refugees to Kosovo. Most of the health sector NGOs plan to return to Kosovo as soon as they are able and have begun individual organizational preparations.
• UNHCR reports that the Macedonian government has proposed two new camp sites. One is close to Cegrane and will have a capacity of 8,000 people and will be expandable to 11,000. The other is east of Tetovo and will have a capacity of 4,000 to 5,000.
• WFP reports that a programming meeting to discuss support for refugees in host families will be held 28 May. The agenda includes planning the distribution of basic commodities and strengthening coordination between the NGOs providing food assistance to host families and refugees in host families.
• DOD reports that 320 refugees arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on May 20. On May 20, three sponsored refugee families (18 persons) departed Fort Dix, and one family (9 persons) is scheduled to depart May 21.

Montenegro

• UNHCR headquarters estimates that there are 64,000 refugees in Montenegro. 10 Kosovar IDPs arrived in Montenegro on May 20.
• WFP reports that the border crossing between Montenegro and Croatia at Debeli Brijeg remains officially open, but that Yugoslav Army checkpoints established several kilometers inside Montenegrin territory are effectively restricting the movement of people and humanitarian assistance. WFP also reports that the Army is not accepting Montenegrin visas.

** Some refugees were moved to third countries by the GOM w/o UNHCR/IOM involvement: 10,000 to Albania, 5,500 to Greece, 1,980 to Turkey, and 88 to Croatia. (Source: UNHCR/Geneva)

Region

• FFP reports that FOCUS (a team comprised of Swiss Disaster Relief, Russian Emergency Committee, and a Greek Government Mission) have agreed to transport up to 80 MTs of WFP food commodities per week into Kosovo. A FOCUS convoy carrying 50 MTs of mixed commodities is scheduled to leave today for Kosovo, crossing the border at Tabanovice. Distribution within Kosovo is through the Yugoslav Red Cross. FOCUS has requested assistance in the monitoring of distributions but WFP staff has not yet received required clearances.

Commodities

• No new information.

Financial Support

• To date the USG has provided over $200 million in response to the Kosovo crisis since March 1998. On May 18 President Clinton announced an additional $15 million toward the crisis under the Emergency Migration and Refugee Assistance account (ERMA). The $15 million ERMA funds have yet to be spent and therefore do not appear in the totals below.

USAID/BHR	$92,964,601
State/PRM	$69,779,500
DOD	$45,281,000
TOTAL	$208,025,101

Background:

• In late February 1998, following an unprecedented series of clashes in Kosovo between Serbian police forces and members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Serbian police raided villages in Kosovo's Drenica region, a KLA stronghold. The police reportedly burned homes and killed dozens of ethnic Albanians in these raids. Thousands of ethnic Albanians in Pristina protested Serb police actions, and were subsequently attacked by the police with tear gas, water cannons, and clubs.
• As a result of the fighting, thousands of Kosovar Albanians were displaced from their homes, many taking refuge with host families, while a smaller proportion (several thousand) took to the hills and forests.

Public Donation Information:

• In the interest of effective coordination of such public response, we encourage concerned citizens to provide monetary donations to appropriate organizations. USAID encourages the public to contact directly those private voluntary organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region to provide monetary donations. A list of those PVOs may be obtained from the USAID website at www.info.usaid.gov. The list is composed of PVOs that are registered with USAID and/or listed by InterAction, a coalition of voluntary humanitarian and development organizations that work overseas; InterAction can be contacted at 1-818-502-4288, or via the Internet at www.interaction.org. Those interested in providing specific technical relief services or commodities should contact Volunteers in Technical Assistance's (VITA) Disaster Information Center for information and guidelines (703) 276-1914.
• For more information, please contact the public donations hotline at 1-800-USAID-RELIEF, which is staffed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On May 20, 93 calls were made to the public donation hotline. Since April 6, a total of 48,634 calls have been received by the hotline.
• Past USAID/OFDA Factsheets can be obtained from the USAID web site at the following URL: http://www.info.usaid.gov/ofda/situation.html.