Kosovo Refugees Return Home Amid Ongoing Danger

More than 400,000 ethnic Albanians have hastily returned to Kosovo, despite warnings from aid agencies and NATO that parts of the province remain too perilous. Many fled due to regular visits from Serb police, with some being forced out under gunpoint. Refugees who couldn't afford the typical 300 deutsche marks to transport their families back home, numbering around 332 people, were bused back to their hometowns on Monday.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 400,000 refugees have returned to Kosovo, mostly on their own, despite warnings of ongoing danger.
• Refugees were forced to flee due to regular visits from Serb police, with some being ordered out under gunpoint.
• The UNHCR initially advised refugees to wait before returning, citing a lack of shelter, utilities, and safety concerns, including landmines and unexploded ordnance.
• Many returning refugees will initially move into tents, as there are not enough houses and apartments available.
• Vjollca Blaku, a 30-year-old woman with a paralyzed daughter, was transported from a refugee camp in Macedonia to a wheelchair-accessible location in Pristina.
• Sadija Krasniqi and her 11-family members returned to their hometown, despite knowing their houses in Sibovc had been burned in a Serb rampage.
• Ron Redmond, a UNHCR spokesman, stated that people are getting killed and injured by landmines daily, and many villages and neighborhoods have been burned to the ground.
• Refugees have taken to informal routes, such as traveling to Kosovo first and then returning for their families, as UNHCR sped up its schedule to accommodate the rapid return.

Statistics:

• Over 400,000 ethnic Albanians have returned to Kosovo.
• The UNHCR has not seen such a large-scale refugee return and repatriation in so short a time.
• The number of booby traps and unexploded ordnance scattered across the countryside poses a significant danger to refugees.
• Landmines pose a threat to the safety of returning refugees, with experts warning that it may remain a danger for years to come.
• According to UNHCR, more than half of the people who fled or were ordered out of Kosovo are already back.

Sources:

• Makfire Prapashtica and her 7-year-old son, Galdim, made arrangements to return to their home in Prizren, Urosevac, and Pristina.
• Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Source: UNHCR).
• Sadija Krasniqi and 11 other members of her family returned to their hometown, despite knowing their houses in Sibovc had been burned in a Serb rampage.
• X X X (c) 1999, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.