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IDPs from Kosovo receive UMCOR emergency kits16 July 2004 In response to the displacement of many Serb and other non-Albanian families following the March riots in Kosovo, UMCOR Serbia is helping the most vulnerable IDP (Internally Displaced Person) families through the distribution of emergency kits.
UMCOR Serbia staff conducted a needs assessment amongst some of the most vulnerable IDP families in the regions of Belgrade, Smederevo, Kruševac and Niš and concluded that the most pressing needs were for food and hygiene materials. By the end of June, UMCOR staff had distributed 96 emergency kits to 64 families (large families with several children received more than one kit). UMCOR plans to distribute a further 38 kits to 25 displaced families in July. UMCOR Serbia emergency kits consist of a food parcel and a hygiene parcel and all items are procured from local suppliers. The food parcel contains edible oil, sugar, salt, flour, beans, rice, canned tuna and meat products, instant soup, jam, multivitamin supplements, pasta, tea and biscuits. The hygiene parcel includes soap, shampoo, sanitary items, razors, shaving foam, hand and machine washing powder, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dish washing liquid, disinfectant, a wash cloth and toilet paper. The kits also contain two sets of bed linen and two blankets.
Between July 2002 and March 2004, UMCOR enabled more than one hundred families to return to Kosovo and was working with many more people who were actively considering returning to their former homes. In the aftermath of recent violence, many Serb and other non-Albanian families, who had returned to homes in the region, felt compelled to seek refuge in Serbia once again. Other potential returnee families have postponed their return to Kosovo, in some cases indefinitely, until the security situation improves. IDP families in Serbia often live in extremely difficult conditions without any regular income. Those who have been displaced twice are particularly vulnerable, and this emergency distribution has helped to relieve the immediate needs of the families concerned. However, it has also showed the need for a concerted effort to find lasting solutions to the problems of displaced persons. Through its return assistance (ICBMR) and legal assistance (CB RAP) programs, UMCOR is working to help IDPs identify these solutions and help them make these a reality. By Nenad Ljubicic, UMCOR Serbia |
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