Update no. 99/01 on the Red Cross/Red Crescent response to the crisis in the Balkans

 General situation  

The crisis in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in the countries adjacent to its province of Kosovo has deepened in the last three weeks. The two ongoing conflicts - one pitting the Yugoslav army and security forces against the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and the other involving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) - have escalated and become increasingly intertwined. The humanitarian consequences of this crisis have reached new tragic dimensions, with the forced departure of over half a million Kosovo Albanians and the plight of many otherYugoslav citizens affected in one way or the other by the impact of the NATO bombardments. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the whole region and specifically about the events unfolding in Kosovo. It has repeatedly underscored the need to ensure the safety of the civilian population. The authorities of the FRY have been urged to take every necessary step to investigate allegations of violence perpetrated by security forces against persons not involved in the fighting. The situation in Kosovo is all the more disconcerting because of the absence of any independent humanitarian organization. The ICRC has often declared its willingness to resume its operations in Kosovo, and did so again recently during meetings in Belgrade with Yugoslav officials. However, the resumption of activities is contingent upon the security of the Red Cross staff and their freedom of movement. But above all, it is contingent upon access to the victims of the conflict.

 Needs of beneficiaries and the Red Cross/Red Crescent response  

 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia  

 Relief and health assistance  

The ICRC, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Yugoslav Red Cross (YRC) have jointly conducted assessment trips to several towns in southern and eastern Serbia that were targets of NATO air strikes, such as Aleksinac, Vranje, Vladicin Han, Surdulica, Leskovac, Nis, Kragujevac and Cuprija. The missions have revealed the immediate needs, particularly of civilians whose homes were damaged or destroyed, and of medical institutions treating the wounded. As a result of these assessments, emergency supplies including dressing material and medicines, blankets, plastic sheeting and mattresses have been dispatched to these towns.

The information on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Serbia is still very sketchy, a complete picture of the situation is not yet available. However, information from a few branches of the YRC confirms the seriousness of the problem. The Belgrade branch has been approached by more than 1,000 IDPs in recent days - with more registrations in the pipeline. The IDPs receive shelter and food from the Red Cross in collective centres. The Red Cross branch in Kragujevac in southern Serbia estimates that around 3,000 IDPs have arrived from Kosovo over the last three weeks. The Sabac branch estimates that there are some 100 Kosovo IDPs in the municipality mainly staying with relatives.

As part of its programme to help the medical structures, the ICRC has handed over 8,500 blood bags and 3,000 diagnostic blood tests to the Yugoslav Red Cross. This assistance will be distributed to blood transfusion centres in Serbia. 

The Vojvodina Red Cross branch reports about increasing fuel problems which hinder the trucking of drinking water to areas of Novi Sad where the water supply has been disrupted by the air strikes.

Disaster preparedness stocks for the YRC arrived in Belgrade last week. They include sleeping bags, torches, candles, water filters, etc., and are intended to allow the National Society to continue its humanitarian work even with unreliable water and electricity supplies. Additional relief items in the form of cooking and heating facilities have started arriving.

The Red Cross programmes for the benefit of Serbian refugees from other parts of former Yugoslavia living in the FRY have resumed. The International Federation is dispatching the first consignment of 750 MT of food aid for 125,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia. The batch will provide two months'supply of sugar, beans and vegetable oil for this vulnerable group. The YRC is also running a soup kitchen programme for 14,000 socially vulnerable beneficiaries throughout the country.

Thousands of displaced people from Kosovo have arrived in Montenegro over the last few weeks, bringing the estimated total to over 65,000. The local Red Cross, with the support of the International Federation and the ICRC, has been very active in helping IDPs since the first influx, organizing accommodation, food and mattresses. They are involved in the distributions of wheat flour and bread to 5,000 IDPs in Rozaje, close to the border with Kosovo.

Locally purchased cleaning items have also been distributed to the congested collective centres to help improve hygiene conditions there. Red Cross efforts are under way to improve water and sanitation facilities in these centres. Some of the projects, especially in Kristal, Ljekobilje and Dekor have been completed, granting approximately 6,000 IDPs access to running water and latrines. Appropriate medical supplies have been distributed to respond to the needs identified and additional supplies are to be dispatched.

 Protection/tracing  

As already mentioned, in Kosovo the ICRC is for now unable to fulfill its protection mandate. In addition, there are limited prospects for efforts to restore family links.

In Montenegro and the rest of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ICRC delegates are presently evaluating the potential protection and tracing needs of both displaced people and the resident population in anticipation of further disruption of normal communication lines.

The ICRC has on several occasions requested access to military personnel captured in connection with the conflict as they are protected by the Geneva Conventions, but to no avail so far.

 Personnel set-up: 18 delegates from the ICRC and the Federation are working out of Belgrade and Podgorica.

 Albania  

 Relief and health assistance  

According to the latest figures, over 355,000 refugees have entered Albania since the start of the present crisis. Some 150,000 are currently massed in the border area of Kukes, accommodated in 62 collective centres or housed with host families; however, a significant number are w ithout shelter and assistance is being hampered by poor weather. Elsewhere in the country, across 11 prefectures, more than 200,000 refugees are living with host families or in collective centres. There are now over 100,000 recipients of Red Cross/Red Crescent assistance, including provision of food and non-food items. Following agreement with the World Food Programme, the Albanian Red Cross will support all refugees living in host families in the entire country. This effort will involve all 36 branches of the Albanian Red Cross, which has mobilized all its volunteers. Accordingly, the total estimated number of refugees receiving direct aid through the Albanian Red Cross is expected to reach 150,000. It is anticipated that the number of beneficiaries directly supported by the Albanian Red Cross will increase with the constant influx of refugees in the Kukes area.

To support the local medical facilities in the town of Kukes, the ICRC has established two medical clinics and the International Federation is currently setting up a clinic for people staying in transit centres. A basic health care Emergency Response Unit provided by the Finnish Red Cross has been set up to cover the needs of 20,000 - 30,000 refugees. A second Finnish Red Cross basic health care unit is in Tirana and will be positioned soon according to needs. Five Red Cross ambulances have arrived in Kukes and another five will be stationed in Tirana.

The Albanian Red Cross, with the help of various Participating National Societies (of Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Danemark, Turkey, Greece, Austria and the United Arab Emirates) is setting up and providing assistance to 8 camps throughout the country.

A telecommunications Emergency Response Unit provided by the Austrian Red Cross is now operational and will reinforce communication links between Tirana and Kukes, and between Albania and Geneva.

A psycho-social support team comprising members of the Danish and American Red Cross Societies is in the country to assess the needs of refugees traumatized by current events.

 Protection/tracing  

Restoring contact between family members separated by conflict is a major priority of the Red Cross tracing activity in Albania. To inform families abroad of the whereabouts of incoming refugees, the Red Cross has provided telephone facilities, particularly in border areas such as Kukes and Kruma, where communication is nearly impossible. In addition to a few Albanian Red Cross telephone lines also accessible to refugees, the ICRC has dispatched 24 portable satellite and 20 mobile phones to the region.

Albanian Red Cross volunteers are presently compiling lists of refugees who have safely arrived in the country. Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, Radio France International, Radio Tirana and the BBC broadcast these lists, which are also rebroadcast by local stations on FM radio. So far, several hundred names of heads of families (which translates to several thousand family members) are broadcast daily. Furthermore, four Albanian daily newspapers have published hundreds of names of refugees.

Children separated from their parents and elderly people on their own are also of concern to the ICRC, although only a few cases have been reported. Owing to the constant influx of refugees, ICRC delegates and Albanian Red Cross volunteers are prepared to identify and register unaccompanied children and other vulnerable people, or when requested, to initiate tracing operations on behalf of parents or family members.

As part of its mandated task, the ICRC has also visited a member of the Yugoslav armed forces captured by the Kosovo Liberation Army and now being held the United States army. Arrangements have been made to forward a Red Cross message to his family.

 Personnel set-up: the Federation and the ICRC have 82 delegates based in the country.

 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  

 Relief and health assistance  

With approximately 133,000 refugees from Kosovo in the country, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is assisting 46,000 refugees living with host families. Plans are under way to extend such assistance to 80,000 refugees living with host families. Refugees now receive food and non-food items from the Macedonian Red Cross. But the Movement is also providing relief items and medical supplies to refugee camps whenever shortages are identified. The International Federation and many National Red Cross Societies deliver large quantities of food and non-food items in support of this operation.

A field hospital with a capacity of 40 beds provided by the German Red Cross has been set up in the Brazda camp. Two Red Cross ambulances for the transfer of emergency cases from different camps to the field hospital or to other medical facilities in Skopje have been deployed. The German Red Cross has also provided an Emergency Response Unit for the production of specialized water, which now supplies 80,000-100,000 litres of water per day to hospitals, health posts, a school and the Stenkovac transit centre. For its part, the Turkish Red Crescent is extending support to the Bojane refugee camp.

International Federation relief delegates have been placed in different Macedonian municipalities to better monitor the needs of refugees living with host families. In Kichevo, medical supplies (dressing material, pediatric and dispensary kits) have been provided to cope with the medical needs of refugees staying in th e area.

 Protection/tracing  

Red Cross efforts to reunite families have begun to bear fruit. Using registration data from UNICEF, UNHCR, Care and Save the Children, the Red Cross has managed to identify a number of families divided between six Macedonian camps. Approximately 40 of these families have already been reunited. To date the ICRC, in conjunction with the above-named organizations, has registered more than 240 unaccompanied children and some 600 adults looking for their children.

In countries which have recently received refugees National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are gathering information and details on families separated during transfers and still out of touch with their relatives left behind.

Although initially limited to children, tracing requests have now been extended to include vulnerable individuals, such as elderly persons on their own, the physically or mentally handicapped, hospitalized persons and pregnant women.

In collaboration with the Macedonian Red Cross, the ICRC is collecting Red Cross messages in refugee camps and cities. The timely increase in the number of national and expatriate staff has boosted the capacity of the Red Cross tracing service to cover all six Macedonian camps and improve reception.

 Personnel set-up: the Federation and the ICRC have 53 delegates working in the country.