UNMIK on air

July 2004

“Returning to Obilic”

(By Valon A. Syla)

 

Slug: More than 120 displaced persons have been returned to their homes in Obilic [municipality near Pristina] since the violence in March. Some 80 of them have settled in an improvised camp until their houses get rebuilt, thanks in large part to the Government Assistance for Returns project or GAR, which is financed completely by the Kosovo Government from Kosovo’s Consolidated Budget.

 

Hello and welcome to UNMIK ON-Air.

 

The right for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees to return to their homes in Kosovo, is indisputable, and has become a top priority of the UN Mission in Kosovo and for Kosovo’s local Government.

 

In a ceremony held last week, more than 80 displaced people celebrated a return to their homes in OBILIC - made possible by the Government Assistance for Returns project, or GAR.

 

GAR is a project financed completely by the Kosovo Government through Kosovo’s Consolidated Budget.

 

MUSIC Fade In

 

Recent violence that erupted on March 17th and 18th added to the number of displaced minorities attempting to return to Kosovo. During the recent unrest over 900 houses were burned or damaged leaving more than 4,000 people from minority communities displaced from their point of origin.

 

Ljubo Jakovljevic: “17th and 18th of March, Obilic became ethnically cleansed. On the 18th all of the Serbs left OBILIC. A majority of them left for the village of Plemetine where they found shelter in private homes. With the initiative firstly of Obilic citizens, international NGO “GOAL” and the office for return of UNMIK we made the plans how to return people back home.”

 

Ljubo Jakovljevic, vice president of Obilic municipality.

 

One of the more heavily damaged municipalities during the March riots, Obilic is a small industrial town inhabited by a majority Albanian population – the town’s minority population is Serb and Roma.

 

And, for the more than 80 displaced Kosovo Serbs at last weeks ceremony – returning to Obilic is a mixture of emotions - happiness at being able to return home is tempered by the realities of the situation.

 

The residents are STILL surrounded BY KFOR peacekeepers.

 

[Atmosphere…people eating and drinking….]

 

On this day, the recent returnees were gathered around a table in the yard to celebrate their return at the old school center.

 

But even achieving this, was not so easy says Edward Tawil from UNMIKs Office OF Returns.

 

Tawil: “It wasn’t easy to get donations and to help you, and I would sincerely like to thank “Teodezom”, Catholic Relief Service and the tremendous work of GOAL. You have courage that you are coming back.”

 

According to Kosovo’s Government or PISG, in March more than 200 houses were damaged and destroyed in Obilic, and over 600 of the municipalities’ minority community were displaced.

 

The rebuilding of the Serb houses is well underway and by mid October the PISG has pledged to have them all repaired.

 

 

 

Dragan Stojanovic is one of the displaced residents of Obilic. On March 18, he escaped the violence and fled to the village of Crkvena Vodica where his sister’s family gave shelter.

 

Returning back to Obilic was easy for me says Dragan, but to have a sustainable return, he says jobs are needed.

 

 

Stojanovic: “For now is all OK, the building is rebuilt, and some of the basic conditions for living are in place. UNHCR brings us food, they brought it for us on two occasions and the monastery of Gracanica has sent some aid. But it is employment that means the most to us - the children need to eat, and we are barely achieving THIS. Basically we are living from day to day”

 

Kosovo’s Government financed the Obilic project being celebrated on this day. In addition, it is funding at least 21 other GAR sub-projects being managed by the UNDP [United Nations Development Program], and implemented by international NGO’s like goal – a group that has been working in Kosovo for the last four years.

 

Peter Henderson is the county director of GOAL – the primary NGO working with this Obilic community.

 

Henderson: “There are 22 containers for living and 21 families are living here. At the apartment building, which we have renovated 14 families have come back so far. This project was funded from two different government projects, the renovation cost about 20 thousand €, the containers cost about 50 thousand and some 40 thousand to install them.”

 

Every container is well insulated and has a refrigerator, cooking facility and other vital equipment for the daily needs of several families.

 

The minorities, who are temporarily sheltered in these containers, get food from UNHCR and NGO Mercy Corps every 15 days.

 

As stated by several of those attending last week’s celebration: the hope is for their houses to be rebuilt quickly and for their children to attend school in a normal fashion.

 

That was all from this edition of UNMIK on Air thanks for listening. Good-bye.