UNMIK/PR/412

PRESS RELEASE - 10 November 2000

UNMIK Prepares for a Kosovo Winter

PRISTINA-- As winter approaches the United Nations Civil Administration is taking all the steps it can to make sure that Kosovo’s most vulnerable people have shelter, food and fuel. A survey by the UNHCR has found that as many as 100,000 people may need emergency assistance

While the UNHCR is appealing for assistance, the UN’s Civil Administration pillar is co-ordinating various central departments along with non-governmental organisations to try to ensure that people can keep warm and dry. It too is appealing for international financial assistance to make sure this happens.

The Department of Health and Social Welfare is supervising temporary community shelters which operate in most regions of Kosovo. The plan is to make available 15,000 spaces, for which it is seeking additional funding. These are primarily for those who have no other home, but space may be available for those whose homes cannot be made ready for the winter.

As many as 6,000 families need assistance in preparing their homes for the winter. The basic standard is having one room which can be maintained warm and dry.  And as many as 41,000 families will not survive the winter in their homes without extra help in heating. Firewood is being provided and to many of the families and a donation of 8,000 tonnes of coal has been made by the Czech Republic.

Work is also underway to ensure that there are back-up strategies for in case there are problems maintaining a constant fuel supply; and everyone in Kosovo is being urged to conserve energy to reduce the need for power cuts in peak periods.

The municipalities, the Department of Transport and KFOR are developing plans to make sure snow and ice are removed from the main roads in the province.

This infrastructure work is likely to be streamlined through a specially established situation centre. This will allow for information on emergencies to reach the departments who need to respond. It will also oversee that response.

UNMIK is committed to improving the situation in Kosovo, and it hopes that by working with all residents, and their elected representatives in municipalities, that the possible problems of a Balkan winter will be overcome.