AIR BRIDGE TO TIRANA CONTINUES - UNHCR

( Editorial: --> 1597 ) SARAJEVO, June 16 (Hina) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will continue maintaining an air connection between Sarajevo and the Albanian capital Tirana so that Kosovo Albanian refugees can be supplied with humanitarian aid, UNHCR spokesperson Ariane Quentier said in Sarajevo Tuesday. Between 60 and 70 tonnes of products other than food, including blankets, cots, field kitchen equipment and plastic sheeting have been transported from Sarajevo to Tirana since the air connection was introduced, Quentier said. Some 1,000 tents should also be delivered to the Albanian capital in the next five days of the air connection's functioning. Some of the equipment is located in Croatia, so some flights will take off from Zagreb. Quentier said that due to bad roads the UNHCR has great difficulties in delivering aid from Tirana to more than 10,000 Kosovo refugees currently located in northern Albania. The UNHCR has requested Albanian authorities to provide police patrols to deliver the aid to the north of the country by special convoys, as humanitarian organisations in Albania fear armed robbers lurking on mountain pathways. Quentier said that so far the UNHCR has unobstructed access from Serbia to Kosovo via main roads to Pristina and Prizren. Six agencies acting within the UN on Tuesday made a special appeal for ensuring US$18 million necessary to provide and deliver aid to Kosovo refugees. (hina) ha/bag jn 161529 MET jun 98