UNMIK ORC - Kosovo Returns Activities Newsletter No. 40
Week 17 - 23 April 2004
Regional Developments
RRCU attended a UNHCR organized meeting (April 15) on the future provision of Humanitarian Assistance throughout Prishtinë/Pristina region. As of next week, Mercy Corps will begin providing blanket distribution every 10 days to all recent IDPs. The IDP Registration Database that is currently being compiled by UNHCR will be completed next week.
RRCU and OSCE Human Rights representative met on April 16 to discuss education issues for minority children. OSCE will be compiling a comprehensive report on access to education for minority community children.
On April 19, RRCU received KFOR decision on the provision of security to both the YU Building and Obiliq/Obilic sites. Security needs are based on the requests of IDPs who have expressed their readiness to return to these locations. ORC as well as Obiliq/Obilic and Prishtinë/Pristina LCOs were involved in this process.
Moravska/Dodona TF took place on April 15. LCA President, CARE, RRCU, GOAL, Roma Community Representative, Albanian Community Representative and OSCE were present. The purpose of the meeting was to approve 6 Roma potential beneficiaries and 2 Kosovo-Albanian potential beneficiaries. All cases were approved by the TF and are now awaiting final endorsement by the MWG.
On April 16 RRCU received from ORC the keys of the YU Building entrances. RRCU has also collected keys to the flats to prevent any illegal occupation. An agreement has been reached with HPD that all residents of the YU Building must first be cleared/approved by HPD before RRCU can hand over any keys. HPD has drafted a guideline on procedures for the return of IDPs to the YU Building. To date, RRCU and HPD have processed and approved/cleared approximately 20 cases. (All cases were legal owners/tenants of the flats - this includes both locals and internationals.) Resolving the cases of the 12 IDPs remaining in the TSS Complex remain a priority.
After consultation with Prishtinë/Pristina LCO, RRCU met with KFOR representatives at the YU Building on April 20 to assess the necessary security arrangements to be implemented at the YU Building. KFOR will be liaising with the Regional Police Commander on this issue in order to avoid duplication in security presence. This has been interpreted as a positive step towards encouraging returns to this location. Potential returnees have also welcomed this initiative. The static security point should be in place by the end of this week.
• Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje
RRCU and Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje MCO met to discuss the possible provision of KFOR escorts for children from Kuzmin that wish to attend classes in Ugljare/Uglarë . KFOR has also been approached with the request to rehabilitate the road between Kuzmin and Bresje as a possible alternative to escorts. RRCU is following up on this issue.
RRCU also met with the Director of Ugljare/Uglarë school on April 14 to discuss obtaining an additional 4 containers for displaced children who want to attend classes. The containers will need to be equipped with basic classroom requirements (desks, chairs, blackboards etc.) RRCU is working on obtaining the containers as soon as possible.
• Obiliq/Obilic
RRCU attended a meeting with GOAL representative and Obiliq/Obilic LCO on April 16 to decide on how to proceed with IDPs and their temporary housing in containers. It was agreed that containers would be placed next to the school building in Obiliq/Obilic town. The Additional Deputy Municipal Assembly President (ADMAP) and MCO office would provide the final list of returnee families. Each head of family would sign a waiver that includes the condition to leave the containers a week after their destroyed home has been rebuilt. 24 families would be housed in the containers and 24 would be housed in the renovated school building requiring minor repair. A letter composed by GOAL and signed by the owner of the flat will be required before repair work can begin in the flats.