FOCUS
H.P is an 18 year
old Moldovan who was promised a job in Romania by the mother of a friend . Although she had no passport, H.P was
taken to Romania where she was given a false passport; from that moment on she
lost control over her life. Trafficked to Serbia and then to Macedonia she was
eventually brought into Kosovo, where for the first three days she was held in
an apartment where she was beaten and raped before being taken to a bar and forced into
prostitution. Living conditions
were very bad, she was never paid or taken to see a doctor but was often
severely beaten and raped by the bar owner. One night, while with a client in his car, she escaped.
The International
Organisation for Migration estimates that each year 700,000 women and children
are trafficked world-wide.
Since summer 1999 Kosovo has become an increasingly attractive area for
human trafficking, as it is perceived to offer a favourable combination of
factors: geographical proximity to Eastern European countries (“sending
countries”), insufficient border control, established smuggling routes,
limited law enforcement capacity.
The IOM
“Return and Reintegration for women victims of trafficking” project
began in February 2000 and has assisted some 150 women and girls to return from
Kosovo to their home countries.
Assistance includes case screening, acquisition of valid travel
documents, pre-departure counselling, travel arrangements – air transport
is usually used - transit assistance, reception and transportation home or
alternative shelter, as well as reintegration assistance and monitoring in the
home country.
Out of the 150
cases assisted to date, 61% of the women are Moldavan, 19% Romanian, 9%
Bulgarian, 8% Ukrainian, 2%Albanian and 1% Russian. The average age is 21 years although IOM has assisted
eleven minors so far, the youngest
being 14 years old.
Eleven percent of
the women assisted were kidnapped.
However, most are driven by the critical economic situation in their
home countries to seek work abroad
– more than 70% of
the women assisted by IOM had been working in their home countries for less
than 40dm per month. Many of
then are single mothers. The
recruiters, many of whom are women, are well aware of the situation of their
victims and what promises to make to lure them abroad. They also count on the ignorance of the
women; most of the victims have no real idea of legal procedures for migration
and therefore become fully dependent on the traffickers as soon as the journey
begins. Almost none of the
women and girls assisted had any idea she would end up in Kosovo.
Most of the women
assisted by IOM were brought into Kosovo by the same main routes, passing most
likely through the same hands. The women are usually sold three to six times
before arriving in Kosovo.
Once in Kosovo they are forced into prostitution in brothels and strip
bars. Ninety percent
of the women assisted were not paid, 80% had no freedom of movement, 73% did
not use condoms regularly and almost all were constantly abused physically or
sexually by the “owners”.
“Clients” are both Kosovars and expatriates. The brothels are in small villages as
well as the main towns.
IOM is
collaborating closely with the UN police, OSCE and an international NGO that is
managing the shelter. In
October 2000 the UN Police set up a Trafficking and Prostitution Investigation
Unit with branches in all regions of Kosovo.
IOM and its
partners are constantly seeking information on trafficking of Kosovar women and
girls. It can be assumed that Kosovar women and girls are being trafficked out
of Kosovo but to date only cases of trafficking within the province have been
recorded. The Centre for
Protection of Women and Children has recently reported 54 cases of forced
prostitution in Kosovo, many of which concerned under-age Kosovar girls who
were trafficked (transferred and sold) within the province.
IOM also aims to
co-ordinate and implement prevention, capacity building and awareness raising
activities, with and for civil society and actors of the international and
local community (including law enforcement bodies). For example the 2000 campaign “You pay for a night she
pays with her life” leaflet was the first phase of an ongoing multi-disciplinary
programme.
All IOM activities
in Kosovo are part of the IOM Regional Counter-Trafficking Strategy, which
covers the Balkans and Eastern Europe - both areas of origin, of transit and
destination for trafficked women and girls.
On 12th
January 2001 UNMIK Regulation No. 2001/4 On the Prohibition of Trafficking in
Persons in Kosovo was signed by the SRSG.
The regulation defines trafficking as a criminal offence punishable by
up to 15 years imprisonment. Witholding
identity papers, including passports is also an offence, with sentences of up
to five years imprisonment. The
regulation protects victims of trafficking from prosecution for prostitution or
illegal entry into Kosovo and defines the type of assistance that should be
provided for them. In addition, it
gives the special UN Police Trafficking and Prostitution Investigation Unit
more powers to arrest and prosecute traffickers and pimps. IOM and OSCE are jointly planning
training sessions on the regulation for lawyers and judges.
Contact: Tal Raviv on TRAVIV@iom.ipko.org
In response to the
deteriorating security situation on Kosovo’s borders OCHA replaced the
normal Monday evening community briefing
on 26th March with a round table on security. The round table was chaired by Jeanne
Boisclair, Deputy Humanitarian Co-ordinator and Head of OCHA. Speakers included Eric Morris,
Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Kosovo and UNHCR Special Envoy for FRY, James Collins, International Crisis
Group (ICG), Brigadier Robert Burns, British KFOR, Sebastian Rhodes-Stampa,
UNMIK Security Information Co-ordination Cell and Lennart Kotsalainen, UNHCR.
Eric Morris,
Humanitarian Co-ordinator, pointed out that although there may be
links between events in Kosovo, South Serbia and FYROM, each situation was
unique and demanded its own political solution. There was the possibility of an influx of up to 30,000
people into Kosovo from South Serbia if the situation there deteriorated. This could potentiallty lead to a
backlash against the remaining minority populations in Kosovo.
An estimated 30,000 people had left their homes in FYROM; the majority either having come to Kosovo or living as idps in FYROM. There was also the possibility that the exodus of Slavs from Tetovo and the west of the country and movement of Albanians to Tetovo and the west would lead to a geographic division of the country with consequences similar to those existing in Kosovo.
James Collins
(ICG) described how after
the retreat of the Ottoman Empire, the present day borders of FYROM, Albania
and Serbia were drawn up by various international conferences held between 1878
and 1947. According to Mr Collins,
Albanian areas then became part of Slav dominated countries and borders cut
across traditional village links.
While admitting it was contentious, Mr Collins expressed the view that
the present problems were the result of persistent Slav denial of Albanian
minority rights and that peace for the Serbs meant acceptance by the Albanians
of the Serb way of life.
Brigadier Burns,
KFOR described the 80km long
border area along which the ethnic Albanians were operating in FYROM, remarking
that the present conflict was well planned as weapons had been cached in the
area, some from the end of the NATO intervention in Kosovo. He talked about the difficulties
of preventing fighters and weapons from crossing the border; according to KFOR’s rules of
engagement, KFOR can challenge a suspicious looking convoy but cannot search it
or force it to stop unless the convoy fires on KFOR. People using these routes know this.
In
Presevo Valley, KFOR estimates there are 600-800 UCPMB members in six
brigades. The phased entry of the
VJ (Yugoslav Army) had already begun and so far was going reasonably well. However, there were few signs of
confidence building measures being offered by the VJ to the Albanian community.
Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, UNMIK noted that Albanian fighters
in FYROM could easily slip across the border into Kosovo and reappear elsewhere and that there was
widespread support for them in Kosovo.
So far, demonstrations to show solidarity with FYROM Albanians had been
peaceful but had the potential to lead to public disorder. The conflict in FYROM was widening the
ethnic divide in Kosovo and Serbs had begun moving north to Mitrovica or to Serbia proper.
Closure
of the FYROM-Kosovo border had led to a lack of chemicals for chlorination of
the water. Fuel and lubricants were also being held up, including those vital
to Kosovo B power plant. The
situation was very serious. In
addition, the evacuation plan for Kosovo depended on easy access to FYROM. A new plan was being worked out.
Lennart
Kotsalainen, UNHCR talked about the inter-agency emergency preparedness for a large influx
of people from either South Serbia or FYROM, adding that there were adequate
stocks of materials for humanitarian assistance, including regional
stocks. He felt that
agencies’ response to any emergency was better prepared than in
1999. Joint key agency scenarios
were: from South Serbia a gradual move of 15,000 people or an
influx of 30,000 fleeing a conflict. Numbers from FYROM were more difficult to
predict but it was believed the Kosovar communities would host large
numbers. Tented accommodation
sites for up to 40,000 people had already been identified and could be quickly
put in place, if the money were available. UN agencies would give food and non-food items, but medical
and social needs would be the responsibility of UNMIK. The agencies would provide staff to the
municipalities to assist with this.
Contact: Jeanne Boisclair on BOISCLAI@unhcr.ch.
With
the ceasefire in FYROM, the movement of people from FYROM to Kosovo appears to
have, at least temporarily, stopped.
UNMIK registration, in co-operation with UNHCR, of all new arrivals
remaining in Prizren region
started on 3rd April and will be extended to all
municipalities in Kosovo. The aim of the registration is to provide the
refugees with identification documents and access to health and education
facilities.
The
vast majority of the over 8,000 people who have arrived in Kosovo from FYROM
are accommodated by host families, including, in the Zhupa Valley, by
Bosniaks. However, the host
families are feeling the strain as the assets they have managed to accumulate
since their return to Kosovo in summer 1999 are being used up in caring for the
refugees. They are in great need
of fresh food, hygienic materials, mattresses, blankets and firewood for
cooking and heating.
Contact: Jeanne Boisclair on BOISCLAI@unhcr.ch
1. GENERAL
DEVELOPMENTS
1.1 At a press briefing in Pristina
on Friday, 30th March, Special Prosecutor for the Hague Tribunal, Carla del Ponte, spoke of how she is encouraged by the
democratic changes taking place in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the positive
developments in Belgrade.
The previous
evening in Skopje she had pointed
out to the FYROM Government that the Hague Tribunal would have jurisdiction
over any war crimes committed during any armed conflict in FYROM adding that
there are some indications that crimes may have been committed there.
In
Pristina Ms del Ponte discussed areas of co-operation with the new officials in
both UNMIK and KFOR and the two new investigations into alleged crimes
committed against Serbs and other non-Albanian minorities in South Serbia since
November 1999 and in Kosovo since June 1999. She expressed the hope that the existence of those
inquiries, plus her statements regarding the situation in FYROM would have a
deterrent effect and that an end would be seen to the commission of violence
and of crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Hague Tribunal.
Contact: UNMIK Press &
Information Office on (381 38) 500 223 ext. 5719
Since Ms. Del Ponte’s statement Slobodan Milosevic has been arrested by the FRY authorities and is being detained in Belgrade pending trial.
1.2 On 23rd March,
following meetings with the SRSG and with a visiting
delegation from the European Union, the leaders of the three main political
parties in Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova (LDK), Hashim Thaci (PDK) and Ramush
Haradinaj (AAK) called on extremist groups in FYROM to ‘ end the fighting
and return to their homes’.
They also appealed to the FYROM Government ‘ to show restraint and
to address and resolve ethnic Albanian grievances through peaceful and
democratic means’.
Contact: UNMIK Press &
Information Office on (381 38) 500 223 ext. 5719
1.3 A recent OCHA survey of the impact of the
FYROM-Kosovo border closure on NGOs and their work found that due to NGO
international staff being randomly turned back at the border, including when on
the UNMIK shuttle, by FYROM authorities, NGOs were forced to spend much more
than budgeted for in flying staff,
consultants and visitors in and out of Pristina rather than the much cheaper
Skopje. In addition, they had to
buy materials and equipment in Kosovo where they are more expensive and often
of lower quality than those purchased abroad.
Where materials and equipment could not be purchased
locally all types of projects were delayed. The situation in the agriculture and medical sectors
was of particular concern as crops and, potentially, food security could be
affected by the lack of the necessary agricultural inputs and health needs were
becoming increasingly difficult to address due to lack of medicines. NGOs were already running out of
supplies of basic healthcare materials needed to treat the people, walking for
10 hours across the mountains from FYROM.
Among the many other problems being experienced by
NGOs were cancellation of training courses, meetings, seminars in FYROM and
inability to access services and equipment in sister offices across the
border. Those NGOs banking in
Skopje had great difficulty carrying
out normal financial transactions.
The OCHA report on this issue was given to the SRSG
who had discussions on the border closure with the FYROM authorities on Friday,
30th March.
The border reopened on Tuesday, 3rd
April. We all hope it remains so.
Contact:
Jeanne Boisclair on BOISCLAI@unhcr.ch.
1.4 The final OCHA winter preparedness meeting was held on Tuesday 27th
March. During the meeting a draft
‘lessons learned’ paper prepared by OCHA-HCIC was discussed. The paper will be finalised shortly.
Contact:
Jeanne Boisclair on BOISCLAI@unhcr.ch.
1.5 The European Union has recently extended its
coverage of the work it is
undertaking in Kosovo with the development of a new website to act as a portal
to the many aspects of the European Union involvement in the province. Those interested in EU policies and
activities can register to receive regular updates on new developments.
Although the site
is initially just in the English language, plans are underway to turn it into a
multi-lingual information tool, providing information in English, Albanian and
Serbian.
The website can be
visited at: www.euinkosovo.org.
Contact: Mike Todd on mikeinpristina@hotmail.com.
1.6 The New Bank of Kosovo was
licensed on 9th February (as reported in KHU 34) and opened to the public three
days later. Its headquarters
are on the Mother Theresa Street opposite the Grand Hotel in the same building as the Swiss
Office.
The Bank plans to open six branches; one each in Prizren, Peje/Pec, Mitrovice/Mitrovica, Gjilani/Gnjilane Ferizaj/Urosevac, Gjakove/Djakovica.
Contact: Mike Todd on mikeinpristina@hotmail.com.
2. RECONSTRUCTION
2.1 138 former
combatants from the municipalities of Skenderaj/Srbica,
Gllogoc/Glogovac and Kline/Klina have completed vocational training courses in the following six
fields: mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering, electrical
installation, plumbing, welding, computer technology. All courses were supplemented with sessions in career planning and
business planning to prepare the trainees for employment or
self-employment. The training was
jointly implemented by the Anton Cetta Technical School in Skenderaj/Srbica and
IOM through its Information Counselling and Referral Service (ICRS) and
Employment Assistance Centres (EAC) programmes.
IOM works with 11 Vocational Training Centres
throughout Kosovo that are now equipping 1,136 former combatants with the
necessary skills and knowledge to improve their chances of finding good,
permanent employment.
Contact: Tamara Osorio
on Tosorio@iom.ipko.org.
2.2 Susica, a Serb village in
Gracanica Municipality, is
the administrative and cultural hub for six outlying villages but the
village’s former community centre is badly in need of repair. The IOM/KTI
Community Infrastructure Service Programme, funded by USAID's Office of
Transition Initiative, plans to
rehabilitate the building allowing the village health clinic, currently
housed in the primary school, to
relocate to this central and more convenient site. Once refurbished, the building will serve as a community,
health and recreational centre for the region, reinvigorating the village and
benefiting some 5,000 inhabitants.
The community participated in every step
of the project identification process and
provided KTI with plans for the redesign of the building. The community will be responsible for
all post-project maintenance of the centre.
Contact: Tamara Osorio on
Tosorio@iom.ipko.org
2.3 The Kosovo Women’s
Small and Medium Enterprise Seminar, organised by
KFOR and UNMIK , was held in Pristina on 8th March. Over 130 women attended the seminar
– more than double the total number of women who have attended the other
eight seminars for both women and men. – demonstrating the need for more
such events for women.
Participating NGOs were Kosovo Business Support, Kosovo Women's Initiative, The Interim Credit Unit of Kosovo, World Relief Micro-finance, Grameen Bank and SHEERA. Each NGO made a 10 to 15 minute presentation on their business skills development and capital/credit procurement training programmes. Other NGOs that attended expressed strong interest in participating in future seminars and think-tank activities.
The seminar was
opened by Fatima Almana of the Gender Affairs Office who remarked that the
seminar marked a significant step forward in mobilising the women of Kosovo to
take the prospect of a better future for themselves, their communities and Kosovo
as a whole into their own hands.
Contact: Captain Varick Ready on Varick.ready@bondsteel2.areur.army.mil
2.4 The AFK, or Agency for
Finance in Kosovo
(formerly Mercy Corps’ Small Enterprise Development (SED) Programme)
celebrated the granting of its 100th loan on Thursday, 28th
March in Peja/Pec.
This was the
second loan that Mr Xhevdet Dranqolli, a 39 year old tailor from Peja had
received from the organisation;
the first, for 10,000 DM, in November 1999 helped him restart his
clothing production business, the second, for 15,000 DM, is to increase
production by the purchase of two more sewing machines and more materials.
November 2000 signalled the transition of the Mercy Corps SED programme into a local finance institution, the AFK and a local manager was appointed in December 2000. A Board of Directors consisting of representatives of donors, the local community and Mercy Corps is being formed to supervise AFK’s activities and provide advice and support.
Currently, the AFK
offers Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) loans ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 at 24% per annum
on declining balance, for up to 24 months. The loans are disbursed and repaid
in German Marks. The AFK operates in 6 municipalities in Western Kosovo from
its Peja/Pec office.
As of 28th February 2000, the AFK
had disbursed over $1.4 million in a total of 99 loans. Currently, the AFK’s portfolio
consists of 77 active loans, totalling $650,000 and includes: 39% in wood
processing, 30% in other production, 18% in food processing/agriculture and 12%
in services.
Contact: Yuriy Shulham on yshulhan@mercycorps-kosovo.org
3.1.1 In its ongoing
co-operation with UNMIK's Department of Health and Social Welfare in the transition from
a food-based to a cash-based social assistance scheme, WFP is planning to
de-register a further 20,000 persons from the list of Category I
beneficiaries. This additional
reduction will reduce to 150,000 the number of rations distributed in March.
Contact: Liliana D’Aniello on liliana.daniello@wfp.org .
3.1. 2 The WFP/FAO Food Security Surveillance Unit (FSSU) has carried out a joint
food needs assessment aimed at defining the ceiling and the criteria for the
planned safety net programme that will assist beneficiaries who may not be
covered by the Centre for Social Work (CSW) scheme. The assessment, conducted in co-operation with the
international NGOs involved in food distribution, included a qualitative
component, under which WFP, in collaboration with its implementing partners,
focused on non–CSW beneficiaries to assess how they are covering their
basic needs. On the basis of such information, a conclusion will be reached on
the best form of assistance for those beneficiaries not covered by the CSW
system once food assistance is terminated. In addition, the survey included a quantitative component
comprising a Kosovo-wide household survey of randomly selected CSW and food aid
beneficiaries, to determine quantitative food needs.
Contact: Liliana D’Aniello on liliana.daniello@wfp.org
3.1.3 In preparation for phasing out its operations in Kosovo, WFP is building a
new database and information management system for use by its local
distribution partners, in order to facilitate the management of beneficiaries,
commodity tracking and reporting.
The records contained in this database, expected to be completed by the
end of March, will be compared to those of the Centres for Social Work to
ensure that there is no duplication of beneficiaries.
Contact: Liliana D’Aniello on liliana.daniello@wfp.org .
3.2 HEALTH
3.2.1 The Mother and Child Health
Unit is among
the projects worst affected by WHO’s radical restructuring in Kosovo.
The
WHO operation in the province, which is one of the largest in the world, was
due to downsize this year but lack of new funding has resulted in cutbacks that
are heavier and earlier than planned.
International staff will fall from 25 to 16 and local staff from 93 to
58.
Activities
that have earmarked funding already will continue: the DFID funded project at the Institute of Public Health, the
Japan funded mental health project and the USAID funded healthy village
programme and primary health care.
It will be possible to resume some of the Mother and Child Unit programmes
if funding is found.
According
to WHO, the drop in funding, for WHO, being experienced by other UN agencies
and NGOs, coincides with the change from emergency to development operations, a
redistribution of support from programmes in the Balkans region and demands for
emergency support elsewhere in the world.
Contact: Edward Poultney on poultney@excite.com
3.2.2 World Health Day, to be
held on Saturday, 7th April, will this year focus on mental health.
While
over 40% of countries in the world have no mental health policy, Kosovo will
soon begin implementing its own Mental Health Strategic Plan that will focus on
developing a sensitive, community-based approach to mental suffering. The province’s first Community
Mental Health Centre opened in Gjakove/Djakovica in March and others will
follow in Ferizaj/Urosevac and Mitrovice/Mitrovica.
To mark Mental
Health Day, WHO in Kosovo has organised a number of events in the National
Theatre, Pristina, starting from
11.00am which, after the opening ceremony include a play ‘Can we do
more…?’ by the Red Cross of Kosovo Children’s Acting
Troupe, followed by a comedy show
“Cima”. In the evening
there are three exhibitions on the theme of mental health, and a showing of
‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ‘
Later there is a
party in Radio Club Pristina.
There is also a party in the Hotel Theranda, Prizren.
Contact:
Edward Poultney on poultney@who-kosovo.org or on 549 218.
3.3.1 From 1st May
2001, direct management of all majority population Temporary Community Shelters
(TCS), previously managed
through the Department of Health and Social Welfare, will be transferred to the
municipalities, with central co-ordination through the Department of Local Administration (DLA). All regions and municipalities have
been informed of this handover, and have been asked to hire appropriate staff
(i.e. guards and site managers) in the coming two weeks.
Faced with the
significant task of direct management without the assistance, as previously,
from NGO partners, DLA is currently assembling a core team of UNVs and national
staff to oversee the newly streamlined programme.
As the TCS
programme enters its third summer, the highest objective for DLA is to close as many of the shelters as
possible in the coming months,
as residents move
into other accommodation. Since
many families from the current caseload will not be eligible for house
reconstruction, additional solutions are being sought by DHSW, Department of
Reconstruction Housing Directorate and DLA. Foremost of these is the proposal for municipally-owned
social housing, developed by DHSW, in close collaboration with Department of
Reconstruction and DLA. This
programme, with donor funding and municipal co-operation, would create low cost housing units to
assist the exit strategy for the TCS residents. The Swiss Government has expressed interest and will carry
out a few pilot projects throughout Kosovo in the coming months; other donors
are strongly encouraged to follow the Swiss lead.
Contact: Spas
Spassov, on 504 604 4678.
Please note the following contact
information for the Humanitarian Community Information Centre (HCIC) in
Pristina: Telephone/Fax:
501 507 or 549 168/69 Email: yughcic@unhcr.ch
For comments and further
information, please contact:
Mary Millar
Office for the Co-ordination
of Humanitarian Affairs in Kosovo
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:
http://www.reliefweb.int