|
UNMIK/PR/601 UNHCR is Ready with Contingency Plans in case of a Large Influx of Refugees PRISTINA - UNHCR Special Envoy Eric Morris today briefed the Kosovo Transitional Council about the assistance being provided to the refugees from FYROM and said that the agency had made contingency plans should there be a large influx of refugees into Kosovo. Mr. Morris said that the number of arrivals into Kosovo was approaching 50,000 and most people who did not have a personal arrangement had been accommodated with host families. "I must thank everyone for the extraordinary degree of hospitality towards the new arrivals", he said. He informed the KTC that High Commissioner Rudd Lubbers would meet representative of diplomatic missions in Geneva today and discuss with them the situation in this region. Tomorrow he would send out a letter to the donors on the donations required for dealing with the situation here. Mr. Morris disclosed that the UNHCR was about to implement a programme of a 40-DM-per-month subsidy for each host family and provision of limited construction materials where these will directly improve the accommodation available to the refugee family. All refugees entering Kosovo were being given blankets, mattresses and hygiene materials and in cases of specific needs, cooking utensils and cooking stoves. The WFP was providing food directly to the refugees, he said. While appreciating the work done by UNHCR, some members felt that the 40 DM subsidy was too small. Others said that the international community must address the root cause of why the refugees were fleeing from FYROM. SRSG Hans Haekkerup also spoke on the issue of the missing and detained. He said since he came to Kosovo much progress had been made, with the number of detained now 245, down from more than 700. "But 245 is also too many," he said, adding that he would continue his efforts to get them released or transferred to Kosovo. He said the Security Council had also taken up this issue in Belgrade with the FRY authorities. He said there were two categories of prisoners, common criminals and political prisoners. On the issue of missing persons, Mr. Haekkerup said that UNMIK had entered into an agreement with the International Committee of Missing Persons for DNA testing to identify the victims. He said Belgrade authorities were now admitting that Kosovo Albanians were killed and their bodies transported to Serbia. Responding to members who had raised the issue of President Vladimir Putin's comments about Kosovo, Mr. Haekkerup said it was not correct that all problems in the regions come from Kosovo. He said he had told President Putin this in his meeting with him. "But there are links between extremists and individuals here in Kosovo and it is the job of UNMIK and KFOR to cut them". He said while the international community was trying to build a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo, there was multi-ethnic cooperation when it came to smuggling weapons to areas where there was conflict. Dr. Feride Rushiti, of the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for the Torture Victims, invited the members to attend the meeting organised by the centre on the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June.
|