SKOPJE, April 6 (Hina) - By Tuesday, 81,000 Kosovar refugees have been registered in Macedonia, a small and poor neighbour of Yugoslavia. It is estimated some 130,000 refugees have arrived in the country, however. About 200,000 people
have been transported from the Blace border crossing to the Stenkovac sports airport at which NATO members have set up a camp. The camp is expanding to accommodate 80,000 people, and all refugees in Macedonia may find shelter in the camp by Tuesday. The fate of around 70,000 people on the Yugoslav side of the border crossing is in question, as they are in appalling conditions and starving. Witnesses say the stench can be smelt in a radius of half a kilometre, and the military and police are wearing protective masks for fear of jaundice and meningitis epidemics. Because of such conditions, the influx of Kosovar refugees at this border crossing has been decreasing, but is increasing at th
SKOPJE, April 6 (Hina) - By Tuesday, 81,000 Kosovar refugees have
been registered in Macedonia, a small and poor neighbour of
Yugoslavia. It is estimated some 130,000 refugees have arrived in
the country, however.
About 200,000 people have been transported from the Blace border
crossing to the Stenkovac sports airport at which NATO members have
set up a camp. The camp is expanding to accommodate 80,000 people,
and all refugees in Macedonia may find shelter in the camp by
Tuesday.
The fate of around 70,000 people on the Yugoslav side of the border
crossing is in question, as they are in appalling conditions and
starving.
Witnesses say the stench can be smelt in a radius of half a
kilometre, and the military and police are wearing protective masks
for fear of jaundice and meningitis epidemics.
Because of such conditions, the influx of Kosovar refugees at this
border crossing has been decreasing, but is increasing at the
Jazince crossing near Tetovo, where the river of refugees of 10
kilometres long, according to official sources, but unofficial
sources say it was more in the neighbourhood of 25 kilometres.
It is Macedonia's stance that new refugees should be deferred to
third countries.
Sources in Skopje said more than 500 refugees have been transported
by helicopter to Turkey by noon Tuesday, while the first hundred
flew to Norway.
Turkey asked for Greece's permission to transport 5,000 refugees by
train across its territory, and an agreement was reached with the
Albanian government that 10,000 refugees be transported to
southern Albania.
Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary have agreed to receive a certain
number of refugees.
Macedonian Foreign Minister Aleksandar Dimitrov asked urgent
measures from the international community to take on refugees.
(hina) lml jn