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

Source: UNHCR Geneva.

Kosovo

• UNHCR reports that 9,356 Kosovars returned to Kosovo between July 16 and 18, including 2,204 from countries outside the area, bringing overall returns to Kosovo to approximately 687,800 since June 15.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 150 Kosovars have been injured or killed by explosions of mines or ordinance since June 15. There were 10 anti-personnel mine injuries per 100,000 persons in Kosovo, and 71% of the victims were under 24 years of age, the majority of whom were men and boys. The rate of mine accidents will continue to remain high with farmers returning to work in the fields, according to WHO.
• UNHCR reports that 75 Roma who had sought protection from UNHCR and KFOR in Prizren returned to their home village, Landovica, north of Prizren. 200 Roma in the Istok area have asked to be moved if KFOR protection is reduced; and in the Mitrovica area, 200 - 400 Roma have taken refuge in a school and a warehouse. 106 Roma in Stimlje walked to Urosevac and subsequently fled to Macedonia on July 17 because they felt unsafe in their homes.
• Based on information from recent Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Program (WFP), and NGO preliminary studies of livestock in Kosovo, reported livestock loses have been large in number but not devastating. According to FAO, losses ranged from zero percent in some areas to 100 percent in others. Cattle and sheep loses (large livestock) are estimated to be approximately 40 percent, while small livestock (chickens, etc.) loses could be as high as 70 percent.
• The USAID/OFDA director and OFDA/DART military liaison officer met with the Deputy Special Representative for the U.N. Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs on July 12 to discuss plans on developing coordination structures within the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and between donors.
• The USAID/DART water/sanitation specialist conducted an assessment of the water systems in the eight largest cities in Kosovo. He provided information on the current status and needs for municipal water systems to UNHCR, KFOR, NGOs, and other donors.
• The multi-sector Urban Task Force, convened through USAID/DART initiative, will undertake a shelter assessment of urban areas similar to UNHCR's rapid village assessment. This information will be provided to both UNHCR's geographic information systems specialist and to the U.S. National imagery and mapping agency.

Albania

• UNHCR reports that 5,137 refugees returned to Kosovo from Albania between July 16 and 18, bringing total returns since June 15 to 399,800.
• UNHCR reports that all Kosovar refugees have now left camps in the Korce area of southeastern Albania. All have returned to Kosovo, either via Kukes, where they were being transferred by air until the landing strip in Kukes collapsed, or directly to Pristina airport.
• UNHCR and its partners continue to transfer assets from Albania to Kosovo. Since July 8, UNHCR and partner NGOs have moved tents, hygienic articles, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, mattresses, blankets, sugar and rice into Kosovo. Three water trucks and 6 trash trucks have also been transferred. Altogether 50 water/sanitation trucks will be moved to Kosovo.

Macedonia

• UNHCR reports that a total of 1,100 refugees returned to Kosovo between July 16 and 18, bringing the total returns to 214,600.
• UNHCR has identified two collective centers to accommodate refugees during the winter months. The GOM has identified a third potential site in Skopje that may require extensive rehabilitation. UNHCR water/sanitation specialists are assessing the long-term feasibility of these centers. UNHCR expects to put about 200 refugees in each center.
• According to CARE, several refugees in Stenkovec II camp continue to resist moving to Cegrane as part of UNHCR's ongoing consolidation effort. About 1,000 refugees in the camp are ethnic Albanians from Presevo, located in Serbian proper. Some refugees are unhappy about plans to fill the camp with Roma and ethnic Serb refugees.
• According to Doctors of the World/USA, Senokos camp is currently accommodating 300 refugees. IOM/UNHCR is moving several refugees from the camp, which will probably close this week. As such, most services are phasing down in this camp.
• WHO and health NGOs continue to face difficulties in the importation and distribution of donated drugs in Macedonia. Customs officials have barred NGO trucks carrying drugs from entering the country since late last week and access to a privately owned warehouse in Skopje where NGO drug supplies are stored remains problematic. Relief agencies are collaborating to resolve this problem and are urging the GOM to extend a memorandum of understanding on the use of importing and distributing drugs. Thus far, drug supplies have not been severely affected by the ban, which was precipitated by negative media reports on NGO drug donations and distributions.
• According to NGO medical staff, the number of patients in Cegrane camp is declining rapidly; Norwegian Red Cross (NRC) reports there are only about 40 patients in the inpatient ward, and an additional 12 patients in the outpatient division of the hospital, which is expected to close July 31. Last week, about 600 refugees were treated for scabies in the camp. During the last two weeks of June, Pharmaciens sans Frontieres (PSF) also treated 2,900 refugees for pediculosis in its clinic, which closed June 30.
• According to WHO, the most common communicable diseases in camps continue to be: upper respiratory infection, watery diarrhea, scabies/head lice/crablice, and fever of unknown origin. Bloody diarrhea was identified in Stenkovec II last week but was not considered for further investigation by the Skopje Public Health Institute (PHI).

Refugee Camp and Collective Center Information: Macedonia
Date: July 16, 1999, 00:00hrs GMT

Source: UNHCR Skopje.

Montenegro

• UNHCR reports that 915 Kosovars returned to Kosovo between July 16 and 18, bringing the total of returnees to 50,100 since June 15.

Commodities

• No new information.

Financial Support

• To date, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided over $291 million in response to the Kosovo crisis since March 1998.

USAID/BHR	$146,360,393
State/PRM	$99,494,601
DOD	$45,281,000
TOTAL	$291,135,994