 | The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001. Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date. This site is not updated so external links may no longer function. Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein. |
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)
Situation Report 3 - April 2, 1999
Key Facts and New Developments
The systematic expulsion of Kosovo Albanians continues. Seven
trains crammed with thousands of Kosovo Albanians have arrived
at the Macedonia border over the past three days.
Over 60,000l new refugees arrived in
neighboring countries during the last 24 hours: 40,000 in
Macedonia, bringing the total there to 86,000
20,000 in Albania bringing
the total there to over 138,000. More
than 230,000 refugees have been forced from Kosovo
into neighboring countries during the last 9 days. This brings
the total of refugees and internally displaced to almost 690,000
since March 1998 (see attached chart).
A massive international response is underway to address the refugee
crisis. UNHCR and other international and non-governmental agencies
are at the border areas setting up collective centers for new
arrivals, finding host family and other accommodation, distributing
food, blankets, water and providing shelter materials.
The United States has provided $141 million for humanitarian assistance for the region. The U.S. is also providing in-kind assistance (see attached charts).
The President is meeting meet with U.S. and international non-governmental organizations at the White House this morning to discuss the relief effort.
Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott will lead an inter-agency delegation to Albania, Macedonia and other countries in the region to underscore U.S. commitment to providing the assistance needed to address the crisis. The delegation leaves Washington today.
A second Disaster Assistance Response Team of State Department and USAID officials arrived yesterday in Albania to assess the emergency response plans and requirements in order to meet the urgent humanitarian needs. There is already a team in Macedonia.
The Department of Defense is sending consignments of Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) to the region.
Members of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission staff are scheduled to arrive in Albania today to help with humanitarian efforts.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Ogata called today for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to bring an immediate halt to the wholesale expulsion of Kosovo Albanians and for massive international support to meet the growing needs of the refugees. She warned that the relief operation was on the verge of being overwhelmed. Mrs. Ogata will visit Italy, Albania and Macedonia April 7-9.
At an meeting in Bonn of the EU countries yesterday, UN High Commissioner Ogata highlighted the need for temporary protection for the refugees and sustained assistance. She said a donor alert would be launched April 2. European countries pledged their support.
Other donor countries are mobilizing financial and in-kind assistance.
Background
Serb offensives in late December caused displacements of several thousand people. These displacements continued in January, and February. Following the beginning of the Rambouillet talks in late February, the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate due to ongoing clashes between Government security forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army. Following the breakdown of the 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
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Serb forces have dramatically increased the tempo of their attacks against ethnic Albanian citizens and destruction of their homes and workplaces throughout most of Kosovo and have begun a systematic expulsion of Kosovo Albanians from Pristina, Urosevac, and Podujevo by trains, buses and trucks.
According to latest estimates, over 230,000 Kosovo Albanians have become refugees or displaced over the last week, bringing the total number of refugees and internally displaced since March 1998 to almost 690,000. 138,500 people have crossed into Albania, 55,000 into Montenegro, and 86,000 into Macedonia. The number of internally displaced in the Kosovo countryside is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands.
A massive international relief effort is up and running. UNHCR, the lead international refugee agency, is coordinating emergency relief operations to provide assistance to the refugees in the countries in the region. UNHCR has identified priority needs as shelter, transport and medical assistance. The World Food Program has pre-positioned food in Albania adequate to support up to 100,000 persons for one month. The U.S., through the Food for Peace Program, and other donors are directing further shipments to Albania and Macedonia on an urgent basis. Other international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and non-governmental organizations are also engaged in the relief effort.
President Clinton authorized an additional $50 million on March 31 to help address the urgent humanitarian needs of Kosovo Albanian refugees. Since the crisis began in early 1998, the United States has committed $141 million in humanitarian assistance for the region as well as in-kind assistance.
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
/1 Does not include unconfirmed, unverifiable estimates of IDPs in Kosovo due to lack of reporting mechanisms resulting from the recent FRY offensive.
Kosovo Refugee/IDP Summary Sheet source: UNHCR as of 4/2, 0415 est NEW ARRIVALS TOTAL 3/98 - 3/24/99 since 3/24 IDPs Kosovo 260,000 /1 260,000 in FRY Montenegro 25,000 30,000 55,000 Serbia 30,000 - 30,000 315,000 30,000 /1 345,000 Refugees Albania 18,500 120,000 138,500 Bosnia 10,000 7,400 17,400 Bulgaria - - - Croatia - 330 330 "Europe" 100,000 - 100,000 Greece - - - Hungary - - - Italy - - - Macedonia 16,000 70,000 86,000 Romania - - - Slovenia - - - Turkey - 2,600 2,600 144,500 200,330 344,830 TOTAL 459,500 230,330 /1 689,830
PRM/SR 3