UN refugee agency expresses concern over Kosovar Albanians fleeing north Mitrovica
JULY 28 -- The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today expressed great concern over the continuing number of Albanian families leaving Serb-dominated northern Mitrovica because of harassment and insecurity.In the last two and a half weeks 21 families have fled to the southern part of the city, UNHCR spokeswoman Paula Ghedini said. "We are quite concerned by this because it seems to be a growing trend. Some of them have been physically or verbally threatened. Others have been evicted from their homes," she said.
There are still approximately 100-150 isolated families that live primarily in Serb or mixed areas that are continuing to be harassed almost on a daily basis in some cases, Ms Ghedini said. She said UNHCR continues to monitor the situation with daily visits and phone calls to monitor the specific security incidents and conditions that each of the families are facing.
She said there was a very significant security presence in north Mitrovica by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) police and KFOR, the international peacekeeping force. But because of the pressures of ethnic Serbs displaced from elsewhere looking for other places of residence in the north, the ethnic Albanians remaining in the area are being pressured to leave.
Kosovo makes quick recovery in agricultural production
JULY 25 -- The United Nations-administered province of Kosovo has in the past 12 months made considerable progress in the rehabilitation of agriculture, including a sharp recovery in production, after severe war-related losses in 1999, according to a special report published today.The joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme report says the quick recovery reflects the considerable will and resourcefulness of Kosovo farmers and timely assistance from the international community.
The report forecasts wheat production in 2000 at about 231,000 tonnes, more than double the estimate of last year's crop, though still only 60 per cent of the level of production achieved in 1989 before the decline in the agricultural sector.
The report further estimates the wheat import requirement for 2000/2001 at 129,000 tonnes, of which about 22,000 tonnes will be covered through food aid programmes. This leaves an uncovered wheat import deficit of 107,000 tonnes, which will be met by the Kosovo milling sector and independent traders who, the report says, "are generally well prepared to meet the domestic shortfall."
The harvest of wheat and other crops from July will be sufficient to ensure access for a large part of the rural population to the food commodities required for their own consumption over the next 12 months. Thus, a further phase-down of food aid in the July-September period can continue as planned, the report says.
Serb boycott casts "shadow" over success of Kosovo registration: UN mission
JULY 24 -- The non-participation of the Kosovo Serb community has cast a "shadow" over the success of the civil registration which ended in Kosovo last week, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today.The boycott was "very regrettable" as it would isolate and marginalize the Serbs, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Daan Everts, said during a press briefing in Pristina.
Over one million people in Kosovo, and an additional 180,000 outside, participated in the registration, which Mr. Everts described as "a spectacular success". But less than 1,000 Serbs, spread over different areas of Kosovo, registered. The civil registration is a prelude to elections in October.
Mr. Everts, who is in charge of the democracy and institution building "pillar" of UNMIK, said the mission had gone out of its way to convince Serb leaders to allow Serbs to register freely, but extremists had intimidated those who wanted to register. "There were very obvious visible presence of extremists who simply wanted to deny these Serbs their rights to participate," he said.
Mr. Everts blamed Belgrade authorities for the boycott, saying they have "systematically argued and agitated against the registration and participation in the elections."
The boycott was "very much injurious" to the interests of the Kosovar Serbs, Mr. Everts said. He promised UNMIK had "not given up and would continue to talk to the Serb community. "We have the strong sense that individuals in Kosovo are interested, they see the need to be part of a new society," he said.
