ALBANIA: NEW UNHCR ENVOY TOURS REFUGEE CAMPS

(7 May 1999) English/Nat The U-N-H-C-R says Albania has offered to host up to a (m) million Kosovo refugees if needed. Following the decision by the Macedonian government to close its borders to Kosovar refugees, aid workers and military personnel are now racing against time to finish new camps in Albania. The U-N-H-C-R is having difficulty convincing some refugees to move to safer grounds further south away from the Kosovo/Albanian border. New special U-N-H-C-R envoy to the Balkans, Dennis McNamara, toured several camps in Kukes trying to encourage reluctant refugees to move out of the overcrowded tents and into Albania. Government and relief officials are trying to fine-tuned a strategy to better handle the monumental exodus of 700-thousand ethnic Albanians. Macedonia is staggering under a refugee tide about one-tenth of the country's normal 2.1 (m) million population. The country is desperate for relief. Macedonian authorities choked off the refugee flow on Wednesday. They blamed Western nations for allowing more than a quarter-(m) million people to overwhelm the tiny nation. And despite the strain, neighbouring Albania has been more welcoming of its ethnic kin from Kosovo. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We're having trouble as you know in Macedonia and keeping the borders open and getting refugees in. That's a very big concern for us at the moment. I'm pleased to tell you that the Prime Minister of Albania has confirmed that any Albanian refugee who wants to come to Albania can come and if it's up to a (m) million people he says in his words, that's what Albania will host. So that's a very important message for us - it's a crucial message at this time to the refugee problem - it's an absolute essential - a safety valve and safety net for the whole region so we're extremely grateful to him and his government. And the people of Albania for that matter because as you know most or half of the refugees at least are hosted by Albanian families." SUPER CAPTION: Dennis McNamara, special UNHCR envoy to the Balkans Despite the crowded and dirty conditions of the refugee camp, many refugees near Kukes don't want to move further inland. And international aid officials fear for their safety. They fear any number of tragic scenarios - Serb shelling of crammed refugee camps, escalating crime and violence, overwhelmed services resulting in shortages of water and other essentials. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Here in the camps we are talking to people about having to move away. We can't keep 20 or 30 thousand people in camps on the dangerous border. It's within artillery range, it's not safe - we don't want to panic them but we want to start to move them and move them immediately. We've agreed that with the government of Albania, we're ready to move and we have other sites being prepared and we want them to go with us voluntarily and freely in their own interests. We don't want women and children and families on this border and on these camps. It's not safe and it's too close to military action. " SUPER CAPTION: Dennis McNamara, special UNHCR envoy to the Balkans McNamara said the U-N-H-C-R would move six-thousand refugees from Macedonia into southeastern Albania near the Korce region over the week-end. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The first six thousand refugees from Macedonia, into Albania will come on Sunday into the Korce area where NATO has helped us build immediate facilities. Six thousand places are available, from Sunday. Those camps will continue to be developed for tens of thousand of refugees who may have to come through Macedonia into Albania. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...