Other State Department Archive Sites

The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released online from January 1, 1997 to January 20, 2001. Please see www.state.gov for current material from the Department of State. Or visit http://2001-2009.state.gov for information from that period. Archive sites are not updated, so external links may no longer function. Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman
March 31, 1999

Response of Neighboring States to Refugee Flows from Kosovo

Tens of thousands of persons fleeing the Serb ethnic cleansing in Kosovo have sought temporary shelter in neighboring Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. The governments in Tirana, Skopje and the FRY Republic of Montenegro have been extraordinarily generous in their response. Other neighboring states have also received additional refugees, including Bosnia, where some Muslims fleeing Yugoslavia's Sandzak region have also arrived. The affected neighbors have kept the borders open and have recently taken steps to speed up the processing of refugees, many of whom arrive at the border posts without any travel documentation. We commend these governments for their admirable commitment to ensuring that those fleeing oppression in Kosovo are able to travel freely.

While these countries are fulfilling their obligation under international law to receive refugees as a point of first refuge, we recognize that they will not be able to meet the needs of the Kosovo refugees without considerable assistance from the international community. There are now more than 30,000 refugees in Macedonia, an estimated 104,000 in Albania and 45,000 displaced people in Montenegro.

The United States has just announced a new $50 million assistance package to address the needs of Kosovar refugees. This is in addition to the $8.5 million made available to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) last week. We have also informed non-governmental organizations who had been working in Kosovo that we will approve shifting U.S.-funded programs to meet the humanitarian needs of refugees in neighboring states.

We will continue working closely with the governments of Albania and Macedonia to ensure that the needs of the refugees are met, and the burdens equitably shared.

[end of document]