Albania: 100,000 Kosovar arrivals in a month

Briefing notes

Albania: 100,000 Kosovar arrivals in a month

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

25 May 1999

Some 1,500 people arrived at the Morini border crossing Monday coming from Orahovac, Srbica, Malisevo, and Klina. Many walked 20 hours to the border.

UNHCR staff reported a security incident at the border around 19:45 Monday evening when 2 shots were fired across the border and came close to our colleagues at border point. This reinforced our resolve to keep moving refugees from the border area to points south.

On Monday, transfers of refugees with NATO trucks from Kukes started.

85 refugees embarked at Kukes bound for Camp Hope near Fier and more were to follow.

Over the past month, 100,000 new refugees have arrived in Albania from Kosovo, bringing the total refugee population to around 438,000. Despite the fact that UNHCR and the authorities have been moving refugees every day from the insecure northern region of Kukes to other parts of the country, there are still close to 100,000 refugees in that area.