Europe

Balkans Region

Balkans Region

Kosovo

Security incidents have occurred on both sides during the reporting period. The overall situation of ethnic minorities in Kosovo remains precarious. There is a climate of violence and impunity, as well as widespread discrimination, harassment and intimidation, directed against non-Albanians (UNHCR - 03/11/99).

Nutritional status

There have been no new nutritional surveys in the reporting period. The most recent survey, in July, estimated a prevalence of wasting at 3.1%, including 1.0% severe wasting (see RNIS 28); there have been no reports of an increase in these prevalences. A survey on the nutritional status of older persons is planned for early next year.

Food distributions

Targeted distributions, which began in September, continue through WFP and its NGO and bilateral partners, via local implementing partners including the Mother Theresa Society. There continues to be a shift towards a gradual decrease in the total number of beneficiaries. Currently, the total number of beneficiaries is approximately 900,000 including some 300,000 IDPs. Beneficiaries are classified according to their access to food sources, income opportunities, social vulnerability and destruction levels of private housing. Priority is given to those hardest hit by the conflict (WFP -17/11/99). From October, food aid was also specifically targeted at minority groups (mainly Serb and Roma) by a number of UNHCR/WFP implementing partners. Agencies face a number of challenges in doing this; such as the feasibility of working through local partner’s and the dangers of creating an additional security risk (UNHCR-11/11/99).

Almost 15,000 tonnes of food was distributed through the main food pipeline in October. This was 100% of the target amount for the period. There has been a shift in the population from rural to urban areas and thus more food was distributed in urban areas, for example Pristina, than had been planned and less in rural areas (UNHCR - 29/11/99).

WFP has finalised the distribution of winter food stocks to some 130 villages considered as inaccessible during the winter. Rail transport is now used to deliver food aid to Kosovo and is expected to remain functional throughout the winter (WFP-10/12/99).

The food pipeline until the end of January is reported to meet 100% of all requirements, although on-going problems at Blace border may affect food aid planning (UNHCR-29/11/99).

Agriculture

FAO has estimated that 81% of the beneficiary families (70,000 households) requiring winter wheat seed had received the seed by the end of October. Several municipalities, however, were either under- or over-served, possibly because of inaccurate beneficiary numbers. Of particular concern was the lack of coverage in ethnic Serb areas. (FAO - 04/11/99; USAID - 08/11/99).

Although mechanisation programmes are proving successful on a local basis, humanitarian agencies are only replacing approximately 20% of the estimated 15,000 damaged or destroyed tractors and combines. FAO will soon start a programme on farm machinery. In order to prepare for the next (spring) planting season, a list of beneficiaries by ethnic group, agricultural zone and activity is being prepared (USAID - 08/11/99).

Due to success of the seed distribution programme, the harvest in June 2000 is expected to be only 15% less than in a “normal” year (FAO - 04/11/99).

Food assessment mission for minorities

Initial efforts to assess needs and provide humanitarian assistance in Kosovo focused on the majority Albanian population. Concerns about the minority populations soon arose as they became subject to increasing insecurity, losing their normal access to income and markets as a result. As a result of these concerns, a joint UNHCR/WFP food assessment mission of minorities was undertaken in November (UNHCR/WFP - 29/11/99).

The objective of providing food aid to these groups was not only to ensure access to 100% of food aid needs but also to minimise exposure to physical insecurity by reducing the need to access markets.

The assessment focused on the Serb and Roma minorities as these groups have the highest profiles. The Serb population in Kosovo lives in three geographic regions: the north-west is an almost exclusively Serb area, the Eastern Plateau (where the bulk of the pre-war Serbs lived) and Strpce, a municipality in the south of the province which borders Macedonia. Outside these areas there are few Serbs remaining. In all areas there has been a marked movement from urban to rural areas; 60% of the Serb population lived in rural areas before the war, now 80% live there. In addition, much of the younger and more active section of the population has left for Serbia, leaving behind a population with a relatively high proportion of older people and social cases (the handicapped, single parent families etc.).

The Serbs in urban areas outside the north-west of the province have very limited access to either income or markets. Many are older people. The mission recommended that these groups receive a full ration. In the rural areas the situation is somewhat better, as most families have access to their own fruit, vegetable, bean and livestock production. These products should cover approximately 50% of the population’s needs until the next wheat harvest (July 2000), except for the elderly and IDPs who cannot cover their needs. These groups are estimated at 20% of the population. The main factor affecting food security in rural areas is the availability of wheat flour derived from this year’s crop production. Access to mills for wheat milling has been a significant problem and many farmers have stocks of wheat grain that still need milling. Income for rural Serb families is much reduced, as is access to markets (this includes older people who need to collect their pension).

The effect of the conflict in the north-west of the province has been to accelerate the already existing economic decline, Linked to this decline has been a progressive increase in the social caseload. It seems unlikely that the north-west of the province will benefit from the general economic improvement expected in the rest of Kosovo in the coming year.

For the Roma, recent problems of insecurity are superimposed on chronic problems of poverty and disadvantage. The majority of families, in both rural and urban areas, relied on low-paid formal and informal employment for their main source of income before the conflict. The post-conflict situation of the Roma varies within the province and according to whether they were perceived to have supported the Serbs or not. All groups have suffered loss of income since the conflict, as they are regarded with suspicion by the majority Albanian population, which severely limits their movements, and also because there is less work available than before the conflict.

Projecting future food needs for the minority population is difficult. Currently, the main problem facing these groups is the prevailing insecurity. It is difficult to foresee how the security situation will develop and also to predict how the minority groups will react to any developments - if the security improves they may either stay, or take advantage of the situation, sell their homes and leave the province. It is unlikely that there will be major changes in security or food aids before the end of the winter. The mission, however, suggested that food aid needs will tend to decline with time if either (i) the security situation improves, leading to improved access to food and markets, or (ii) the security situation deteriorates or remains as it is, when it is likely that an increasing number of Serbs will leave the province. There may, however, be a slight increase in the number of Serbs in Kosovo as IDPs in Serbia are experiencing difficulty in finding employment and accommodation and hence may return home.

Winter, water and shelter

The coldest three months in Kosovo are December, January and February. This will increase nutritional requirements. Winter also presents many problems other than the cold. The delivery of assistance becomes more difficult logistically. De-mining organisations are working to strengthen the minefield marking systems for the winter, but snow or ice may obstruct or hide marking tape and fencing. Heavy snowfall can have an effect on trip-wire operated mines (UNHCR - 26/11/99).

Power remains a problem: although major repairs to the power system have been undertaken, there is still insufficient power. While some power has been imported, the extraction and stockpiling of coal and ensuring the availability of fuel oil remain crucial. The public water supply in Kosovo is dependent on electricity (UNHCR - 12/11/99, 26/11/99).

Roughly one third of the 365,000 homes in Kosovo have sustained major damage (defined as substantial or total roof and wall destruction) affecting an estimated 720-840,000 people. Efforts to provide shelter kits and repair roofs continue (USAID - 26/11/99).

Albania

As of 29 September 1999 there were 3,634 refugees remaining in Albania (USAID - 02/10/99). There is no new information on the nutritional situation of these refugees, which was reported to be adequate in the last RNIS.

Macedonia

Approximately 14,000 refugees remain in Macedonia, the majority of whom are housed with host families. The Government of Macedonia has agreed to permit the registration of previously unregistered refugees. These people will be issued with refugee documentation and permitted the same benefits as other refugees in Macedonia. There are estimated to be up to 8,000 unregistered refugees in Macedonia (USAID - 08/11/99; WFP -17/11/99).

There is no new information on the nutritional situation of the refugees in Macedonia, which was reported to be adequate in the last RNIS.

Serbia

According to the Yugoslav Red Cross (YRC), there are an estimated 243,000 IDPs in Former Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) excluding Kosovo. UNHCR plans to carry out an IDP registration exercise in January 2000. ICRC provides food aid to over 200,000 IDPs. Family hygiene parcels are also distributed on a bi-monthly basis (OCHA - 20/11/99, 25/11/99).

The RNIS has not received any information on the nutritional status of the IDPs in Serbia.

FRY is experiencing a continuous economic decline and much of the population is sliding into deeper poverty. The increase in prices of basic food items (over 20% in October alone) and the decline in the purchasing power of the majority of the population have raised concerns that insufficient food will be available to many during the winter (OCHA-30/11/99).

Stocks available in the Balkans region are sufficient to meet requirements well into the second quarter of the year 2000, except in Serbia, where gaps in the food pipeline are expected during the first quarter of the new year (WFP-10/12/99).

Recommendations and Priorities:

For Kosovo:

· Continue to support programmes for increasing food security in Kosovo.

· Continue to provide shelter and fuel assistance.

· Support mechanisation programmes for agricultural equipment.

(i) Food aid:

· Urban communities: The mission recommended that a full ration be programmed for urban Serb and Roma communities and 80% of the population of other minorities.

· Rural communities: A 50% ration was recommended for 80% of Serbs in rural areas, as they have some access to own production. Full rations for 20% of the population; mainly elderly and IDPs.

· For Serbs in the north west, the mission recommended that the current WFP policy be maintained. This involves providing a full ration to the Serb IDPS living in collective centres and a further 20% of the rest of the resident population based on the criteria of the Yugoslav Ministry of Social Welfare (e.g., pensioners, households with nobody able to work due to disability and ill-health etc).

· 80 % of Roma communities that have some access to income and markets should be targeted with a 100% ration.

(ii) Non-food interventions:

· Provision of security by KFOR for agricultural activities.

· Provision of seeds, fertiliser, spare parts etc.

· Purchase of surplus agricultural production for humanitarian assistance.

· Integration of minorities into the Mother Theresa Society distribution system.

· Affirmative action by international organisations to ensure the equality of employment opportunities.

· Obtain information on the nutritional situation of the IDPs in Serbia.

· Support WFP’s operations for the IDPs in Serbia.