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

Albania

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) headquarters estimates that there are 444,000 refugees in Albania. 96 refugees have entered Albania from Kosovo, none from Macedonia, and 64 refugees arrived from Montenegro on June 5- 6.
• Throughout Albania, the Government of Albania (GOA)/Emergency Management Group (EMG) estimates that 84,461 refugees are in tent camps, 93,292 in collective centers, and 287,636 living with host families and in other accommodations.
• In Kukes Prefecture, the GOA/EMG estimates that there are 30,615 refugees in tent camps and 2,384 in collective centers.
• In the last 24 hours, 1,371 refugees were relocated from Kukes Prefecture to central and southern areas of Albania.
• The GOA/EMG reports that for the month of May, 64,000 refugees arrived in Kukes and 102,000 were relocated from Kukes to areas in central and southern Albania.
• As of 1200 CET on June 7, the population of Camp Hope was 3,460.
• The World Food Program (WFP) and UNHCR report that refugees currently arriving in Kukes from Kosovo are increasingly citing food shortages as the reason for their departure from Kosovo.
• WFP reports that as a result of a recent assessment visit to Macedonia and Albania, their nutritionist has recommended an increase of 200 calories to the basic refugee ration for the winter months.
• NATO, UNHCR, World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health plan to meet on June 8 to discuss a strategy to address disease control, solid waste management, and hygiene.
• The Department of Defense (DOD) reports that Task Force Hawk, who replaced the 26^th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides 83 persons for Camp Hope and 68 persons for Camp Eagle as a force protection team.
• Both Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) teams will meet with the USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Humanitarian Response (BHR) and Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) representatives on temporary duty (TDY) in Macedonia to organize a regional return plan for the refugees.

Macedonia

• UNHCR headquarters estimates that there are 247,000 refugees in Macedonia. 426 refugees entered Macedonia in the last 24 hours. On June 7, there were 790 refugees transferred by air to third countries and no refugees traveled overland to Albania.
• UNHCR Skopje reports that 108,400 refugees are living in camps and transit centers, and the Macedonian Red Cross estimates 138,600 refugees are registered as living with host families. The Government of Macedonia (GOM) estimates that more than 30,000 refugees are unregistered and living elsewhere in Macedonia.
• In response to the beating of a Roma (gypsy) refugee at the Stankovac I camp on June 5, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is reviewing its security and safety procedures within the camp. CRS is considering when to involve the Macedonian police in such incidents and is seeking greater coordination with NATO to determine when NATO may also be willing or able to intervene.
• UNHCR reports that Roma families in the refugee camps are being identified to determine if they are feeling any insecurity in their current living situation. If Roma families request to be moved out of their camp, UNHCR will find them alternate housing.
• Pelegonija, the local Macedonian building contractor, has not completed the construction of Phase II of the Senokos camp. A permanent latrine structure is planned, but there still is no running water being provided to the Phase II area of the camp. In addition, the area has not been properly leveled and needs to be re-graded. Mercy Corps International, the Senokos camp manager, has no estimate as to when the construction on Phase II will be completed.
• According to the International Rescue Committee, construction on the new Vrapciste refugee camp has not begun but is still planned. Construction negotiations are ongoing between the camp builder, Pelegonija, and the camp donor, Britain's Department for International Development (DFID).
• The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) reports that the June planning figure for refugees in host families in 168,200. This 29,900-person increase over May distributions reflects new registrations in local Red Cross branches as well as increased estimates of the number of refugees unregistered by local police.
• WFP reports that they have dispatched food supplies for more than 100 refugees who have crossed through unofficial border points near Malina Mala. Access to several border areas where refugees are crossing remains problematic.
• According to the Department of Defense, the Ft. Dix reception center is expected to close by July 31, but maintain a 24-48 hour reactivation capability. All refugees transiting to the United States from Macedonia are being flown to JFK Airport in New York after completing processing before their departure. After arriving in New York, the refugees are being resettled with relatives and sponsors throughout the country. The next refugee flight to JFK Airport is scheduled to arrive on June 9.

Date: June 8, 1999 8:00 am GMT

Montenegro

• UNHCR headquarters estimates that 250 refugees arrived in Montenegro from Kosovo on June 5-6. On June 5-6, 64 Montenegrins departed to Albania.

Region

• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports that since May 24 it has dispatched 6 truckloads of food and non-food items from Belgrade to Pristina. These relief commodities had been distributed by the Yugoslav Red Cross. Beginning this week, however, ICRC teams are distributing relief commodities directly to the displaced within Kosovo. ICRC delegates have been able to travel to Mitrovica and Prizren as well in the Pristina area.

(Source: UNHCR/Geneva)

Pescara, Italy Airdrops

• USAID Pescara Logistics Cell reports that two planes completed airdrops of humanitarian commodities over Kosovo on June 8. The two planes dropped a combined total of 3,200 humanitarian dry rations (HDRs) and 525 high-protein biscuits. No security incidents were reported. To date 7,878 HDRs and 525 high-protein biscuits have been delivered.
• The Logistics Cell reports that the high-protein biscuits dispersed as expected and will be incorporated into future airdrops. Efforts are underway to increase the number of pallets per sortie as well as optimizing the per pallet HDRs/high-protein biscuits ratio.
• The Logistics Cell also reports that additional pallet materials are required to airdrop all of the remaining HDRs. Local sources are being identified to provide the high altitude pallet materials.

Commodities

• No new information.

Financial Support

• To date the USG has provided over $210 million in response to the Kosovo crisis since March 1998.

USAID/BHR	$96,138,121
State/PRM	$69,779,500
DOD	$45,281,000
TOTAL	$211,198,621

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). During June 5-7, 43 calls were made to the public donation hotline. Since April 6, a total of 49,446 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.