Syndicate: Fw

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

Forwarded by Melentie Pandilovski <mpandil@soros.org.mk>

Subject: MCMC daily update on situation 20.04.1999
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 15:13:19 +0200
Organization: MCMS/MCIC
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MACEDONIAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
DAILY UPDATE
       ON SITUATION IN MACEDONIA         Tuesday, April 20, 1999

EXCERPT
...Last night, 2.300 more refugees from Kosovo have arrived at 
Macedonian-Yugoslav border at the v. Lojane near Kumanovo, and they are 
still waiting to enter Macedonia...The construction of a new camp at 
Chegrane, of capacity to shelter 15-20.000 refugees is in 
processing...6.673 refugee-children are involved in the regular primary 
school education system... About 30.000 refugees are transported from 
Macedonia, till now...Until today, 139.100 people are registered in 
total...The Macedonian Red Cross is continuing to distribute the food as 
humanitarian help.

SECURITY SITUATION
" The most optimistic estimations are that the military activities in 
Kosovo will proceed in the next three  months, and Macedonia is been 
already effected exactly by that."-stated the Minister of Internal Affairs 
of RM in his interview for the weekly newspaper "Denes"." The Balkan will 
not be stabile in the next 10 years. As a state, we should do everything 
not to involve ourselves in such activities." Mr. Trajanov considers that 
NATO, if they decide to involve the ground forces in the Kosovo crisis, 
will respect the Macedonian Government's and Parliament's decision that the 
territory of the country can not be used for attacking of any neighbouring 
country...considering that this could brought us in delicate position. 
maybe not now, but certainly in the future. We will be neighbours with the 
same countries in the future too, and this fact should be respected".( from 
the weekly newspaper "Denes" of 20.04.99).
Border
Until yesterday, until 04:00 P.M., neither one refugee has been registered 
at border passages Jazince and Tabanovci, and at Blace only 40 refugees 
have passed the border. They were immediatly transported to Neproshteno and 
Stenkovec.
The UNHCR claims that the Macedonian-Yugoslav border is only officially 
opened, and it is not functioning from the Yugoslav side.
Yesterday night 2.300 more refugees from Kosovo have arrived at 
Macedonian-Yugoslav border at the v. Lojane near Kumanovo, and they are 
still waiting to enter Macedonia. They have immediately received the help 
in blankets and food from UNHCR, and 11 busses are waiting to transport 
them to the camps. However, the Government of  RM has allowed enter for 
only 400 refugees, explaining that there is no place in the camps anymore. 
This is released on the today's press-conference of UNHCR.
REFUGEES
"According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, until today, 139.100 people 
are registered in total, and 45.280 of them are sheltered in the camps: in 
Stenkovec 33.611, in Bojane 4.865, in Radusha 1.857, in Neproshteno 4.190 
and in Senokos 557 people" - stated the Ministry of Information. The 
largest number of refugees is been hosted in families in Macedonia.
On the UNHCR's press-conference the numbers of the refugees were presented, 
as showed in the table below:

	20.04.99	According to UNHCR	In the cities in Macedonia	
1	STENKOVEC	12,600	Skopje	24,000
2	BRAZDA	25,000	Tetovo	30,000
3	RADU[A	1,500	Struga	5,500
	Radu{a gath. Centre	400	Gostivar	5,000
4	BOJANE	3,200	Others	16,500
5	NEPRO[TENO	3,300		
6	SENOKOS	550		
	Total in CAMPS	46,550		
	Total in HOUSEHOLDS			81,000
About 15 refugees have asked for health services in the Skopje's clinics.
>From yesterday, 6.673 refugee-children are involved in the regular primary 
school education system in Macedonia, mostly in Gostivar, Tetovo and 
Skopje. The high school classes are attended by 490 refugee-children, and 
52 children are involved in pre-primary education system. The pupils are 
only attending the classes, which is been evidented. The UNHCR is helping 
by delivering tables, chairs and notebooks, and  the Soros Foundation is 
providing a meal for the pupils. According to the school officials, 80 more 
teachers should be engaged for a normal functioning of the classes, which 
will be financed by the UNHCR.
Refugee centres
The Ministry of Civil Constructionwork and NATO have started constructing 
the new refugee camp in Chegrane. 20 platforms are already prepared and 
tents are being posed for sheltering 15-20.000 refugees. The camp will be 
ready till Monday.
UNHCR is considering opening of new camps for the Kosovo refugees in Spain 
and Sweden, and is negotiating with Great Britain for transporting refugees 
who need medical treatment.
In the camp Neproshteno the refugees have organised primary school, and 150 
children attend it.
Nato will definitely hand over the camp to International humanitary 
organisations tomorrow.
On Monday the vaccination of children refugees will start. Air bridge, 
evacuation
According to UNHCR, with the evacuation of the refuges, about 30.000 
persons have left from Macedonia. 15.500 of them left in Albania by busses, 
others by plane in Germany (10.000), Turkey (3.000), Norway (1.100), 
Belgium, Austria, Croatia, France, Iceland, Israel, Poland and Switzerland. 

ACTIVITIES

The Macedonian Red Cross had a meeting yesterday with the representatives 
of the Searching Service, that together with International Red Cross 
Committee, and in cooperation with local and city organisation of Red Cross 
is working on the registering and reuniting the closest members of the 
families, stated Macedonian Red Cross.
Macedonian Red Cross continues with distribution of humanitary help in 
food, hygienic issues and other things, provided by UNHCR, International 
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, UNICEF and other donators, 
according to the world standards established with food program.
The Macedonian Red Cross got humanitarian help from Slovenian red Cross, in 
110 T of food, 7 T of pasta and blankets from the Bulgarian Red Cross, 
tents from Germany and 4.374 food parcels from Kuwait Red Crescent, that 
are distributed in the camps Stenkovec, Bojane and  Radusha, says 
Macedonian Red Cross.
Together with the delegation from Saratowian area of the Russian 
federation, second humanitary shipment arrived in Macedonia. The help 
consists in few T of food and medical issues. The delegation stated that 
the federation is ready to get 50.000 Kosovo refugees from Macedonia.
CRS in their statement on their activities from 19.04.99, informs on daily 
activities in the camp Stenkovec 1 (Brazda). Referring the security, 40 
more Nato soldiers are engaged to patrol in the camp. For solving the 
garbage problem, 10.000 bags are given out to the refugees and one trunk 
will collect the garbage every day. Major problem in the camp is 
distribution of the food. Considering the fact that there are 25.000 people 
in the camp, long rows are being formed. Opening of more points for 
distributing the food is planned, for speeding up the matter. During the 
last days, because of the low temperatures, caritas and CRS have given more 
blankets for the refugees.
Greece will not take any refugees from Kosovo, but will give 2 million $ 
for helping the refugees in Macedonian camps and 2.5 billion drs. for 
supporting Macedonia and Albania, stated yesterday the deputy prime 
minister for national economy of Greece. , Aleksandros Baltas.

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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