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

Source: UNHCR Geneva.

Note: UNHCR is no longer producing daily statistical updates on displacement and movement of people.

Kosovo

• According to UNHCR Pristina, 16,700 refugees returned to Kosovo from Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Since June 15, 606,300 refugees have returned from these three countries and from Bosnia Herzegovina.
• On July 6, UNMIK (UN Mission in Kosovo) announced the first civilian plane had landed at Pristina airport that day and it would soon be open for humanitarian relief flights. The first flight, a United Nations charter, delivered communication gear for UNMIK and UNHCR. KFOR will be controlling the airspace and has agreed to allow three to four humanitarian flights a day starting o/a July 9.
• UNHCR in Pristina reports that due to complicated logistics, as well as heavy traffic on roads the largest number of refugees UNHCR can return to Kosovo under the organized return program is 3,000 per day.
• The WHO Special Representative for the Balkans informed the health coordination group that the UNMIK has given who the lead coordinating role for Pristina hospital. He also mentioned that bilateral agreements were being developed with specific governments and organizations to have international teams operate and manage the regional hospitals in Kosovo.
• According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) there is currently no medical evacuation program out of Kosovo at this time. IOM is organizing a committee to determine the need for evacuations and to establish criteria.
• Tens of thousands of people have returned to Djakovica, which had a pre-war population of around 60,000 people. Local authorities say up to 90 percent of Djakovica's population has returned, though UNHCR believes the number is somewhat lower.

Albania

• UNHCR reports that 359,400 refugees have returned from Albania to Kosovo since 15 June. It is estimated that around 84,000 refugees remain in Albania.
• 752 refugees joined organized UNHCR/IOM convoys from Albania to Pristina, Prizren and Urosevac on July 6. AFOR aircraft and helicopters flew 356 refugees from camps in Korce in southeastern Albania to the northern border town of Kukes to board buses to Kosovo.
• UNHCR reports, that UN agencies, NGOs and AFOR are consolidating the remaining Kosovars into a small number of collective centers and tented camps. Under this plan, facilities with the best living conditions will be used to shelter any refugees remaining through the winter.
• UNHCR reports, that the United States and Italy have turned over administration of their campsites to UNHCR and others are moving to do the same. However, as looting and other security problems emerge, UNHCR has been compelled to move to safeguard relief materials and equipment, including tents, plastic sheeting, generators and water purification systems. It is planned to transfer much of this badly needed equipment to Kosovo.
• UNHCR and its implementing partners began transporting to Kosovo relief supplies and equipment from camps that have been emptied as a result of the massive return of refugees to the Serbian province. Convoys, escorted by AFOR, ferried tents, plastic sheets, water purification systems, tankers and sanitation equipment from camps in central Albania to Kosovo on July 7.

Macedonia

• UNHCR reports that approximately 4,200 refugees returned from the FYR of Macedonia to Kosovo on July 6, including 186 who joined convoys of UNHCR and IOM.
• According to UNHCR, 207,300 refugees have returned from Macedonia to Kosovo since mid-June. The movement of people at the main border crossings is gradually returning to normal levels, with hundreds of travelers and businessmen coming and going every day.
• UNHCR Skopje's supply pipeline to Kosovo has delivered to date 7,400 tents, 29,000 rolls of plastic sheeting, 249,000 blankets, 132,000 mattresses, 148,000 hygienic kits and 3,000 kitchen sets.
• UNHCR reports Stenkovec II camp is now receiving new arrivals from Serbia as well as Kosovo. About thirty refugees, mostly ethnic Serbs are arriving daily from Serbia and Kosovo. At the same time, UNHCR is moving ethnic Albanians in Stenkovec II to Neprosteno refugee camp.
• According to UNHCR, total returnees from Macedonia to FRY now totals 202,382. This total includes 143,735 refugees who left from host families and private accommodations.
• As of July 6, UNHCR reported that Radusa, Stenkovec I, and Bojane refugee camps are now closed. UNHCR has moved refugees from these camps that were unable or unwilling to return to Kosovo to Neprosteno, which is now hosting about 2,000 refugees. UNHCR reports it is moving forward with the rehabilitation of camp sites that have closed.
• UNHCR reported on July 6 that the first of refugees evacuated through the UNHCR humanitarian evacuation program (HEP) are expected to arrive back in Macedonia and subsequently travel to Kosovo this week. About 500 Kosovar voluntary returnees are expected to arrive by air from Italy on July 7. UNHCR is working with other asylum countries on moving other voluntary returnees. The GOM is facilitating the transport of these returnees to Kosovo.

Refugee Camp and Collective Center Information: Macedonia
Date: July 6, 1999, 00:00hrs GMT

Source: UNHCR Skopje.  

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

• UNHCR reported that on July 7, 407 Kosovars joined UNHCR's first repatriation convoy to Kosovo from Montenegro, traveling from the western coastal town of Ulcinj to Pec in 7 buses, 2 trucks and 17 cars.
• Spontaneous returns from Montenegro to Kosovo continue. Even before the organized convoy left Ulcinj, 204 persons in 24 cars and 2 buses went on their own back to Kosovo. On July 6, 600 Kosovars returned spontaneously , bringing the overall count of returnees from Montenegro at the end of July 6 to 48,300.

Commodities

• No new information.

Financial Support

• To date, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided over $222 million in response to the Kosovo crisis since March 1998.

USAID/BHR	$107,560,393
State/PRM	$69,779,500
DOD	$45,281,000
TOTAL	$222,620,893

Public Donation Information

• No new information