The inauguration of the newly elected Municipal Assemblies is proceeding rapidly. However, to ensure that the basic rights of minority populations are protected and fostered, each municipality will also have a Communities Committee and Office and a Mediation Committee. Minority participation in the new municipal structures has been achieved both by direct election and the co-option of additional members by the SRSG under Regulation 2000/45. This Regulation is designed to ensure adequate representation of all communities pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The full and active participation of all minorities will be crucial in ensuring that the new structures effectively serve the needs of all members of the community. The international community still has overriding responsibility for the development and implementation of policies geared towards improving the situation of minority populations. However, the newly emerging municipal bodies represent a working framework within which minority issues can be addressed on the basis of consensus and co-operation. Substantial responsibility to respond to the needs of minority communities is placed on the municipalities themselves.

As far as minority protection is concerned the challenges faced by the new municipal structures are complex and varied. Many of the key issues of concern are set out in the recently released sixth UNHCR/OSCE Assessment of the Situation of Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo, covering the period June to September 2000. Based on the extensive field experience of both organisations, and drawing on a wide range of information sources, it chronicles the type and severity of problems faced by different ethnic groups throughout Kosovo. Lack of adequate security, freedom of movement and access to basic services continue to be major obstacles to the full participation of minority communities in the shaping of the future Kosovo. A series of meetings between representatives of minority communities and JIAS officials during September and October provided a platform to each community to express their concerns. Similar meetings will continue as part of broader efforts to ensure that the voice of minority communities is heard and understood. The UNHCR/OSCE report makes extensive reference to the major role played by NGOs in the delivery of basic services to minorities and highlights the fact that the NGO experience is a valid and important aspect in assessing the further development of policies addressing minority needs.

Within the overall context of minority protection the question of return has increasingly become a topic of debate. How feasible is it? When will it take place? To what locations? How will security be guaranteed? The question of return is discussed extensively in the report and the message is simple: return is a basic human right and one that the international community is committed to achieving. Given the continuing volatile situation in Kosovo and the myriad of problems still faced by minority populations, UNHCR along with other actors is at this point focusing it’s efforts on the creation of conditions that will be conducive to minority return. Working from the fundamental principle that return is a matter of choice and not a political strategy, UNHCR hopes that by concentrating on the conditions for return and on supporting small scale spontaneous return, a solid basis can be laid for future durable and sustainable return. The brutal murder of four Ashkaelia in Skenderaj/Srbica, shortly after they returned to their village of origin has served as a shocking reminder of the fact that there are still elements within Kosovo determined to deny the most basic of rights to minority communities. The international community and Kosovo society as a whole have condemned this cowardly act and pledged that such acts of intimidation will not alter the path that is being mapped out towards return in safety and dignity for all citizens of Kosovo who have been displaced by violence.

Contact: Betsy Greve on GREVEB@unhcr.ch

1.1 The funeral for the four Ashkalis who were brutally murdered upon return to their village of Dosevac/Dashec last week took place on Wednesday 15 November in Fush Kosova/ Kosovo Polje,. Over 300 people joined in the procession following UNHCR vehicles carrying the four coffins. Representatives of UN agencies, UNMIK, KFOR and OSCE, and other agencies as well as Albanian representatives, members of the KTC (Turkish, Serb and Albanian) and many members of the Ashkalia and Roma communities paid tribute to the victims of the horrific crime.

Representatives of Albanian and Ashkalji communities expressed their grief and their hope that the killings would unite rather than divide the two communities as was the aim of the murderers.

The bullet-ridden bodies of the four men, including a teenage boy, were found on Thursday 9th November, following their return to the village on the preceding Tuesday. The investigation is on-going.

The Special Envoy has specifically requested an international prosecutor and forensic team to investigate the killing, and to put an end to the culture of impunity and hopefully break the wall of silence in Kosovo.

The Humanitarian Coordinator requested that the OCHA HCIC conduct a risk analysis survey in September and October 2000 among NGOs, UNMIK officials, UNHCR and KFOR personnel to determine the need for emergency assistance to vulnerable families and minimise suffering during the upcoming winter.

To address this issue, the Humanitarian Co-ordinator and the Head of UNMIK Pillar 1 undertook visits throughout Kosovo to gain first hand knowledge of the situation. Following the visits, a joint press conference was held in November, to underscore their concerns about the rate of implementation for the emergency shelter operation. Moreover, they appealed to the donor community for urgent assistance to some 20,000 families in need of winter fuel.

CARE International in Kosovo is currently implementing a four-month project to procure and distribute 6,000 m3 firewood to 2,000 vulnerable households in Prishtinë/Pristina municipality. The project is in co-operation with Mother Theresa Society and a few other local NGOs, private firewood supply contractors, implementing partners of UNHCR serving ethnic minorities, and KFOR. Close contact with the UNMIK Winterisation Co-ordinator.ensures good co-ordination with other agencies.

Beneficiaries are households with either no access to fuel or no income with which to purchase it. Where ethnic minorities have the money but lack access to markets, CARE together with KFOR will provide an escort to firewood sources. Distributions will also take place to schools identified by the UNMIK Winterisation Co-ordinator and UNMIK Director of Education.

In planning the project, CARE International took note of the lessons learned from similar projects last winter.

Specifically, the delegation:

• Stated that a Law on Amnesty would be submitted to the FRY parliament in the very near future;
• Provided UNMIK with official lists of Kosovar prisoners currently held in all Serbian detention facilities;
• Acknowledged and shared the concerns of family members for the personal security of detainees, especially in the prisons at Nis and Pozarevac;
• Agreed to facilitate visits by international organisations to all detention facilities in Serbia;
• Agreed to facilitate prison visits by family members and relatives of detainees, both in Serbia and Kosovo;
• Agreed to work with UNMIK to facilitate delivery of packages to individual detainees, especially food, medicine, clothing and hygiene articles.
• Agreed to establish regular direct contacts to make sure each of these objectives can be promptly followed-up, and to discuss other initiatives

Practical measures to facilitate the release of persons unjustly detained were addressed, as well as measures to co-ordinate and accelerate the resolution of all the cases of persons missing from all Kosovo communities.

The delegation subsequently visited prisoners in the detention facilities in Pristina and Camp Bondsteel before returning to Belgrade.

1.4 The new UNMIK Regulation 2000/60 on Residential Property Claims means that investigations can start into the over 700 claims already made for the loss of rights to apartments and houses in the Pristina region alone. Providing the legal machinery to halt the Kosovo-wide problem of illegal occupancy, this regulation can play an important part in bringing stability to Kosovo.

Those who may lodge claims include those who, because of discrimination in the 1990s, lost their occupancy rights, those who could not have ownership registered in their own names; or those who were the legal owner or occupant before 1999 and have since then lost possession. The deadline for submission of claims is 1^st December 2000.

The regulation places a temporary ban on the sale of apartments purchased under discriminatory law by individuals who were not the occupancy right holders prior to 23^rd March 1989. Sales in breach of the regulation are null and void.

Owners and occupancy right holders who do not wish to use their property may request temporary internationally supervised administration of the building. It will then be used for displaced persons who require temporary shelter on humanitarian grounds.

The Housing and Property Directorate (HPD) will receive and investigate claims and try to settle claims through mediation. If no settlement is reached, claims will be referred to the Housing and Property Claims Commission (HPCC) for adjudication.

People directly affected by claims will have the right to take part in the legal proceedings, provided they give timely notification of their intent.

Anyone wishing to lodge a claim or take part in proceedings must contact the Housing and Property Directorate.

Xhemajl Mustafa, an advisor to LDK party leader, Ibrahim Rugova, was shot and killed outside his home in Dardania in the afternoon of Thursday, 23^rd November. All internationals are warned that this is one more in a close series of violent actions that have increasing potential for repercussions. All internationals are advised to be aware of their local security situation, remain alert for any indication of increasing tension and, whenever, minimise movements and avoid locations that could be the target of ethnically related violence.

A 10-kg bomb exploded at the home of the head of the Yugoslavia liaison committee, Stanislav Vukicevic, in Pristina on 22^nd November, killing one person and injuring another six. On 21^st November an attack was launched on Serbian policemen in the Presovo Valley during which three policemen are reported to have been killed.

Up to 50,000 people demonstrated peacefully in Pristina against the continued imprisonment of K-Albanians in Serbian prisons during the week beginning 13^th November. Similar protests were held in all major towns throughout Kosovo. Most shops and restaurants closed in solidarity with the demonstrators. . Generally, the demonstrations were peaceful, however in Mitrovica, there were some arrests for public disorder offences, and both demonstrators and police sustained some injuries.

Trends show that internationals are becoming the targets of premeditated rather that random criminal activities, especially in the Pristina and Peja/Pec Regions. The majority of incidents involving internationals are crimes against property — mainly theft of safes, computer equipment, radios and vehicles. Residences of international staff members are lucrative targets, especially when empty.

Between 4^th and 16^th November, three vehicles were stolen from NGOs and one from UNHCR, three vehicles belonging to international organisations were broken into and had documents, equipment and a radio stolen, the windscreen of an NGO’s vehicle was smashed; Medicins Sans Frontieres offices in Pristina were broken into and a safe, a mobile phone, cash and 420 DM in postage stamps stolen, and various items were stolen from the INTERSOS warehouse in Peja/Pec.

3.1 The Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Eric Morris, and other members of the international community had a meeting with Ashkalia community representatives in the wake of the murder of the four Ashkalia. The concerns expressed by the Ashkalias will assist UNHCR to determine how best to continue to support returns.

3.2 To date, over 899,400 Kosovars have returned to the province in both organised and spontaneous voluntary movements, including some 78,600 so far in 2000. In addition, UNMIK Border Police report that over 11,400 persons have been forcibly returned to Kosovo, mainly from Germany and Switzerland, this year.

3.2 Mother Teresa Society Netherlands is operating a liaison service for returnees from Netherlands. The main task of the service is to link returnees to organisations in the relevant areas of Kosovo involved in reconstruction, medical care or micro-credit. Before leaving Netherlands, the returnees are asked to choose one of these three forms of assistance. The liaison service ensures they receive what they have requested on their return.

For the past two months an average of 32,000 passengers per month have used the daily bus services provided by UNHCR and its implementing partner, the Danish Refugee Council. The purpose of this Kosovo-wide service, which has been operating for over a year, is to improve freedom of movement for minority and isolated communities.

All partners (WFP, UNHCR, UNMIK, IPs [implementing partners] and LDPs [local distribution partners]) are currently working together to resolve discrepancies between Category I beneficiary lists and the food lists of LDPs (principally, duplication of names). Any questionable cases identified will be verified through household visits by CSW staff. The end result will be accurate food distribution lists for the next round of payments.

WFP, UNHCR and FAO have concluded the first part of a two-week joint food needs assessment for minorities in rural areas. The purpose of the rapid assessment was to review the food security and overall socio-economic situation in the minority villages in Kosovo in relation to the security conditions. The assessment looked at summarising the key issues to be dealt with in the coming months in order, on the one hand, to determine the eventual changes to re-orientate the aid interventions and, on the other hand, to gradually implement the modified strategies. The second part of the mission took place in mid-October in the Northern Mitrovica region.

The fire in Lipjan/Lipljan happened on 11^th August Based on a drawing presented by the forest enterprise of Lipjan/Lipljan, a surface area of 109 ha has been very badly damaged by a high canopy fire.

Fortunately, most of the burned wood can be salvaged and used for fuel; some is even suitable for construction. With winter drawing closer both uses are particularly important. In any case, the wood must be cleared to prevent massive infestations of secondary pests and diseases and to prepare the site for reforestation.

As the clearing and reforestation of the affected area will take some time, FAO proposes to first work on the gentler slopes to prevent erosion. The cleared area will be reforested this year whilst the remainder will be cleared and reforested by early spring at the latest. The operation will be a concerted effort between FAO, the Department of Agriculture, KFOR, the local forest enterprise and the municipal administration.

Organising fire fighting for the future will be a task for the new forestry administration. Forest rangers within the administration will monitor and control activities in the forests and must report fires to the municipal fire brigade. The regional forest administration will have fire-fighting equipment such as back-carried water pumps and metal ‘brooms’. Together with the Civil Defence Unit/Kosovo Protection Corps, the regional forestry administration will be trained in fighting forest fires by the municipal fire brigade. An FAO fire protection project for year 2001 includes training, organisation and investment in new fire fighting equipment.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies initiated its Psycho-Social Programme (PSP) together with the Red Cross of Kosovo in September 1999. Since then, staff in the 5 Psycho-Social Centres (PSC) and the 5 Mobile Outreach Teams (MOT) have provided approximately 40,000 hours of psychological support and interventions to more than 6,000 beneficiaries.

The motto of the PSP is healing through empowerment. Techniques used promote problem solving, reduce anxiety, increase motivation, encourage self-care, and re-establish trust in oneself and others. Whenever possible a family oriented approach is taken. Clinical management and supervision are provided by 5 expatriate mental health professionals, but the heart of the PSP is the 20 paraprofessional counsellors who are committed to help others heal. They are trained to provide appropriate interventions and support commensurate with their paraprofessional status. In addition to active listening and intentional interviewing, the staff are trained to screen medical and psychiatric cases and potential suicides and to make appropriate referrals. They also help the needy access resources they might be unable to find on their own. Due to the tremendous shortage of professional mental health workers in Kosovo, the professional expatriate teams are sometimes called upon for more sophisticated interventions, but this is the exception.

The PSC are open to the public Monday to Friday. People can just walk in or make an appointment, stop by for a cup of coffee and read the newspaper or seek a trained ear. All services are voluntary and free. Support groups are conducted for ex-detainees, widows with young children and others in need. Family and individual sessions take place. Therapeutic social activities are offered for all ages. They range from theatre and dance groups, sports, creative arts, excursions to places of interest, fishing trips and city tours. The MOT travel to rural villages and visit the homebound in urban areas. In some villages support groups have also been established. Special efforts are made to reach isolated minorities.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement works within the Fundamental Principles of which Humanity, Neutrality and Impartiality are so important here. While at times this is a challenge for the Kosovo staff whom themselves have suffered through the war, their natural compassion and commitment are beginning to overcome some of the barriers.

The other important role of the International Federation is capacity building within the Red Cross. The Psycho-Social Programme provides a good vehicle and in Year 2001 - 2002 will assist the Red Cross of Kosovo and its 26 municipal branches set up a pool of volunteers trained in disaster psychological first aid and transfer the psycho-social support skills that will be needed for years to come. Over time, the PSC will evolve into more traditional and multipurpose community centres for Red Cross activities.

The International Federation also provides technical and financial support to the Yugoslav Red Cross and its 6 municipal branches in Kosovo where their social welfare programme has been operational since the early 1990s.

PSC and MOT are located in Gjakova/Djakova, Gllogovc/Glogovac, Peja/Pec, Podujevë/Podujevo and Pristina

Ashkalia children have stayed away from school for many different reasons. Some parents were ashamed of their inability to dress their children properly. In other families there was no tradition of going to school — and many others felt rejected by the ethnic majority or by school directors.

But that is now changing. UNICEF, in co-operation with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and War Child Holland, has been preparing Ashkalia children for school by providing them with catch-up classes and workshops. The projects have also been preparing Albanian children to accept and welcome Ashkalia children into their classes, for example, through joint singing and dancing workshops.

War Child reports that at first during these workshops the different groups refused to touch or approach each other. Little by little, however, they became so engrossed in the dancing that they stopped noticing who was next to them and held hands automatically.

Since spring, the International Rescue Committee has been working with Ashkalia children in the Fushe Kosovo/Kosovo Polje municipality. Here, some 200 Ashkalia children aged six to ten years are now attending Albanian schools and receiving the education that is rightfully theirs.

Women for Women - Kosovo provides women with tools and resources needed to move out of crisis and poverty and into stability and self-sufficiency.

This is the mission statement of a local women’s organisation dedicated to help poor, rural Kosovar women secure employment or establish income-generating projects, moving them from crisis and transition to opportunity and self-sufficiency. Women participating in the project are the poorest of the poor. Many are either widowed or their husbands are disabled from the war and unable to generate income. Women for Women - Kosovo implements a comprehensive six-month project which includes leadership and empowerment training, intensive training in traditional and non-traditional skills, and participation in a ‘sponsorship’ programme connecting the women to other women overseas.

Gaining marketable skills and learning how to manage a small business are essential to helping Kosovar women achieve self-sufficiency. Technical skills training includes traditional courses like weaving, sewing, quilting and handicrafts. However, emphasis is placed on participation in non-traditional classes like carpentry, upholstery, shoe repair, key-cutting, welding and picture framing. Technical skills training provides the woman with confidence, job skills and job readiness.

In conjunction with technical skills training, women are enrolled in workshops to discuss their role in rebuilding and reconstructing civil society. Topics such as women’s role in politics, the economy, and the family help the participant determine her role in the development of her community and society. The training is a crucial link in helping women achieve and retain self-sufficiency.

Providing women survivors of war with an opportunity to share their experiences while working together on projects such as picture framing, making a sofa or embroidering a tablecloth helps women build friendships, establish common ground among women of different backgrounds and begins the process of healing emotional wounds.

The Humanitarian Update has been asked to point out that, contrary to what was reported in issue 30, Women of Kosovo is not an organisation but the name of a conference organised by Women Waging Peace and Ambassador Swanee Hunt. At the conference approximately 30 women from all ethnic groups in Kosovo came together to create an action plan and strategies around the issues they most care about.

5.1 OCHA/HCIC said goodbye to yet another staff member, Craig Williams, head of GIS at the Centre, at the end of October. Craig is taking a long holiday before heading for Hong Kong.

Olla Hassan, another welcome arrival, is on a mission until the end of the year to help boost OCHA’s report writing capacity. Olla is a field co-ordinator with OCHA in Sudan. Her e-mail address is:

OCHA and HCIC can now be reached by fax: +381 (0)38 549 168/169.

We are also the proud possessors of a Post Office Box through which we can receive mail from abroad and, in theory, within Kosovo. The number is: PO Box 174,

Pristina — 1

Kosovo.

The boxes are available from the main post offices in Pristina — one in Dardania and one next to the National Theatre — and cost a princely 5dm per year. However, the number of boxes available is very limited.

OCHA wishes to apologise for the break in publication of the Humanitarian Update from September. This was due to staff shortages.

For comments and further information, please contact:

Mary Millar

Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Pristina, Kosovo

(phone) 381-38-501-509 ~ 516 ext. 2762

(fax) 871-761-843-891

This report is also available from the

Humanitarian Community Information Centre (HCIC) in Pristina and through the Internet at: