Syndicate: Fw: MCIC daily update on situation 17.04.1999

[Melentie Pandilovski <mpandil@soros.org.mk>]

> MACEDONIAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
> DAILY UPDATE
> ON SITUATION IN MACEDONIA  Saturday, April 17, 1999
>
>
> EXCERPT..Macedonian government is against the building of new camps, but
> extending of the existing once... Yesterday, there  were refugees
> continuously entering Macedonia... This morning the number of the Kosovo
> refugees coming in Macedonia has been reduced...Prishtin daily newspaper
> "Koha Ditore" will start issuing in Macedonia...Stenkovec
>
> SECURITY SITUATION
> The Macedonian government Crises Headquarters, presided by  minister of
> defence, yesterday held a meeting, with representatives from UNHCR, NATO,
> and German government. It was stressed out that the new refugee vawe will
> cause even more difficulties in sheltering them. The number of new
> sheltered refugees will depend on the number of the refugees accepted by
> the other countries. Government's official attitude is that new camps
> should not be built, but to extend the existing once, and keeping
Stenkovec
> as transit centre only. The minister Kljusev stressed out that it is
> necessary to forbid the political activities and different protests  in
the
> camps, in order to maintain the peace and stability in them. On the
> contrary, UNHCR will have to take the whole responsibility. In this
> context, acting secretary of MVR, stated that the charges will be pressed
> against everyone who will disturb the peace and stability in the camps.
> Acting secretary in the German ministry of defence suggests transferring
of
> the  refugees in the camp Neproshteno, where German forces of NATO will
> take care of them. He stands for obeying the Refugee Convention, according
> to which the have the right to choose where would they want to and stay,
as
> well as the right of free movement. According to that, no country should
> permit transportation of the refugees where they can be endangered.
> On the Crises Headquarters' meeting, UNHCR's representative informed that
> in the part of the  supplies for the refugees will be from the domestic
> production.
> The Minister of  Constructing and Urbanism of RM stated that the camp
Blace
> is ready to accept 2000-3000 refugees more, Stenkovec-2000, and
> Neproshteno, if extended ,could  accept 2500 refugees more. Ministry of
> health of RM started the vaccination and  immunisation in the camps,
stated
> the acting minister of health, and there are also dentists' teams in the
> camps.
>
> REFUGEES
> Border
> Yesterday, there were refugees continuously entering Macedonia on the
> passing Blace.
> Total number of refugees from yesterday is estimated  at about 3.500
> This morning the number of the Kosovo refugees coming in Macedonia has
been
> reduced. One of the reasons, as considered is bad weather condition.
> According to the UNHCR, there are 118.000 refugees from Kosovo in
> Macedonia.
> The same source says that column of 100.000 refugees is coming towards
> Macedonia.
> Macedonian government has turned to the international community once
again,
> especially to European Union and Nato, to fulfil their duties in taking
the
> Kosovo refugees. The attitude of Macedonia is that she can take 20.000
> refugees and more than 90.000 should be send to other countries. So far
> only 12.000 have been transported, mainly in Turkey and Germany, and other
> neighbouring countries, like Greece and Bulgaria, refuse to take refugees.
> Refugee centres
> British troops in Nato have handed over the charge in securing of the
> biggest refugee camp Stenkovec to the other humanitary organisations,
> informed MIA,  referring to BBC.
> At the moment, there are 30.000 refugees in the camp, but the number
varies
> every day. For the camp's needs, the soldiers distribute 70 T of food
every
> day. " In case of a hugger number of refugees from Kosovo, we will need
> Nato's help in logistics", stated the spokesman of UNHCR, Paola Gedini.
>
>
> ACTIVITIES
> In the camp Stenkovec, hospital on the open started with work yesterday,
> donation by R China-Taiwan. The hospital has full medical equipment and
> stuff of 26 people, consisted of 8 doctors and 11 nurses, among the
others.
> Medical personnel will stay in Macedonia at least for two weeks, with a
> possibility of prolonging it.
> Prishtin daily newspaper " Koha Ditore", that was forbidden by Serbian
> authorities on Kosovo, soon would be published in Macedonia.
> USA will provide refugee camps in Macedonia and Albania with telephones
and
> Internet in order to help the refugees in connecting with their relatives.
> Starting from the next week, US congress can start a debate on immediate
> economic help for the countries neighbouring Yugoslavia.
> STENKOVEC-BRAZDA
>
> " Your country is good and has sheltered us well. I can easily understand
> the catastrophe on Blace and I can't be angry with anybody about it. Now
we
> are hosted well,  our basic needs are satisfied. When all this is over, I
> want to buy house in Skopje, or some village near by. You have good
> president, the people is fine and the living is well here", said Asan
> Shala.
> Asan Shala is 60 years old Albanian from Kosovo, agrarian from v.Dolovo
> near Klina. Him, together with his wife, two daughters and son, have left
> their home and went to Prishtina almost year ago. "...the police has
burned
> to ground both of my houses, took my six cows, and cutted the wood I
owned.
> All that I have now from my property is the land", says Asan. Afterwards
> him and his family lived in Prishtina. They left Prishtina more than two
> weeks ago.
> Now Asan is staying in the camp Brazda. He has his 22 years old daughter
> with him. In the tenet there are for refugees more living. They are
getting
> food at the points where milk, biscuits, fruit, baby food and other things
> are given,  by humanitarian organisations and Nato soldiers. Once a day,
> his daughter goes with a plastic can,  to the one of the tubs in the camp,
> where water comes from the reservate installed just behind the hedge.
> In the camp people are sitting in front of the tents, talking, washing,
> drying  clothes, children are playing with the balls, rocks, sticks,
> sniffing around the soldiers, chasing around with wheel chairs, climbing
> the two ruined agricultural planes... everything is in motion, active, and
> for somebody that does not know the whole story, it can seem like large
> number of people are here for a vacation, only compulsory. It is
relatively
> clean around, the garbage is collected in the cans.But, Asan didn't seem
> very happy with his position.
> Several times a day Asan goes to the bill board with photos and personal
> messages of the people that are looking for their relatives and friends,
> messages written on a peace of paper, cardboard, even teared peace of
> Yugoslavian passport, as well as the list of the refugees that will be
> transported to other countries, with timing of the flight of leaving of
the
> buss. He is looking for his wife Dzimide Shala and 13 years old daughter
> Venera Shala, that were separated two weeks ago during the refugee
> catastrophe on Blace. Dzimide and Venera were transferred to the refugee
> camps first, because they were in the priority category. " I don't know
> anything about them, but, I can't live without my wife", says Asan. He is
> visiting the Red Cross tent that works on reuniting of the refugees from
> the separated families according to the lists of the registered refugees.
> Asan has two sons as well. One of them is in Germany for quite while, and
> other 18 years old son is sheltered with a friend of his from Montenegro.
> Asan  find out, by phonecall, that his son is alive and well, so he is
> thankful  on that.
> Unlike Asan, those who want to be transported to other countries, are
> waiting in the row on the certain place, where fill the forms and make
> their choice.
> The camp is secured by regular and special forces of MVR and soldiers of
> ARM. The entering  and getting out of the camp is  under strict control,
in
> order to stop un authorised passing of people and food, cigarettes,
alcohol
> and drugs smuggling.
> Finally, life in the camp is getting a  certain course. Everyday there are
> new refugees coming and going, but the total number is stabile, around
> 25.000. Asan Shala, as many other Kosovo refugees, is waiting for the
> crises to end, and then continuation of  the life of his family, in a
> positive direction, we hope.
> Nikola Parapunov bb   l   P.O. Box 835   l   91000 Skopje   l   Republika
> Makedonija
> Tel.: 091/365 381    l    Faks: 091/365 298    l    E-mail:
mcms@informa.mk
>    l   www.mcms.org.mk
>
>
>
>
>


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