Human Misery and a Life-Saving Convoy
Mercy Corps International ran a special convoy
today into the municipality of Malisevo/Malisheva, an area hard hit last
week when tens of thousands of IDPs fled their homes into the mountains.
MCI and the Mother Theresa Society, delivered, along with Hungarian Interchurch
Aid, 72 metric tons of flour, 2 tons of milk powder, 2 tons of detergent,
150 cooking stoves, 45 bales of plastic sheeting, 75 sleeping pads, 3,000
jars of baby food and 2,000 sanitary napkins to an area just outside of
the village of Terpeze, northeast of Malisevo/Malisheva. Save the
Children Fund accompanied the convoy to conduct an assessment of the needs
of the children there.
The convoy consisted
of three 25-ton trucks, one 10-ton truck and two 4WD vehicles. Permission
was received from the police and authorities prior to departure and the
convoy left Pristina at 7:00 am. The convoy was allowed to pass the
checkpoint at Komoran and turned left about 12 kilometers after that to
make it to the villages. Police were professional and courteous,
pointing out the correct roads to take.
As the village of Terpeze
was virtually empty, the distribution was made outside at a school near
the top of the hill. Before leaving the area, tractors had been brought
in to make smaller deliveries of the commodities to MTS beneficiaries and
IDPs so that the entire distribution would be completed by the evening.
Staff visited IDPs who
fled Malisevo/Malisheva last week in a ravine a few kilometers from Terpeze.
Off the main road, the group traveled about a half a kilometer and then
left the 4WD vehicle and walked along a stream, down a ravine, about another
kilometer. Along the stream, families were camped out, scattered
along an area estimated to be about one and a half kilometers long.
It is estimated that 3,000-4,000 people inhabited this ravine. There
are another 10 streams like it in the area with equal numbers of people.
IDPs told staff they
had been there for about 10 days. The stream was used for washing
while drinking water had to be carried in from a well near the village.
Families were grouped, usually two or three families, in make-shift lean-to's
built from tree branches, covered with plastic sheeting and often with
blankets or sleeping pads on the ground. Stoves, as far as a kilometer
down stream, were visible. In the particular area staff visited,
two infants and one two year old girl had died in the past week.
Most babies had diarreha and children were infected with lice. Commodities
most needed included medicines, baby food, flour, and clothing. Conditions
in general were filthy with defecation areas being up-hill from living
quarters.
The convoy left at 1:40
pm. On the road back, several homes could be spotted with smoke billowing
from the roof-tops. Along the entire road, homes and businesses were
burned out and shelled. Fields had been burned to the ground, cows
and other farm animals wandered about freely while the dead bodies of others
lay rotting in the fields.
An Invitation to Return
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia has issued an invitation to its Albanian citizens to return home. Leaflets, printed in Albanian, have been dropped by plane to tens of thousands of IDPs in the hills. In part, they read:
Invitation
For Albanians to go back to their homes and villages
We invite you to go back to your homes and villages.
We guarantee your safety.
The Serbian government can make a clear distinction
between our Albanian citizens and terrorists.
The interest of each citizen is peace in Kosova
and Metohija, peace in village and city, peace for your families, women
and children.
Terrorist will not bring you any good.
Everywhere they bring just ill fortune. They take your villages, they make
you take weapons by force, they put shame on your wives and your girls,
they take your money for a so-called UCK. They stop roads.
We invite you,
Go back to your homes and villages, we guarantee
safety for you, for your homes, for your women, children and your families.
Go through the free roads. Show up at the
police points found on the roads, show up to the first police station.
We will help you to safely arrive to your homes and villages.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic
of Serbia.
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ju pershendes,
rrezja
senden