KOSOVO: FAMILIES PREPARE TO FACE WINTER

(20 Nov 1999) Albanian/Nat Ethnic Albanian families made homeless by the Serb offensive during the conflict in Kosovo are preparing to face what is expected to be another harsh winter, without proper shelter, clothing and food. In their attempts last Spring to purge the region of its ethnic population the Serb military and police forces destroyed in excess of 200-thousand homes. Despite emergency funding announced by the U-N-H-C-R, the E-U and the World Food Programme, ethnic Albanians say that little of this aid has reached them. The first snows have begun to fall in Kosovo and a typically hard winter is expected. A large proportion of the population in Kosovo are preparing to endure the extreme cold in what remains of their houses, some of which are mere roofless shells. In the village of Bogaj, 95 kilometres East of Pristina, people are repairing the roof of their house to keep out the snow and rain. Zog Selmanaj, a thirty year old father living in the village, has resigned himself to the fact that his family is going to suffer this year. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) "The first snow has start today. The entire village is burnt. We are trying to fix the roofs but our families are going to suffer this year." SUPERCAPTION: Zog Selmanaj, villager People in villages such as these, who were once scared of the Serb advance, are now afraid of the winter. A senior European Union Commission official said the priority of reconstruction efforts remain the preparations for the upcoming winter. But Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo are complaining more and more about the lack of aid as some families are still living in U-N-H-C-R tents. Forty-seven countries and 34 international organisations have promised an additional 1 (b) billion U-S dollars in reconstruction aid for Kosovo. In addition the World Food Programme has appealed for 122 (m) million U-S dollars to help 1-point-6 (m) million vulnerable people and refugees in the Balkans region during the winter months. But Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo are complaining more and more about the lack of aid as some families are still living in U-N-H-C-R tents. More than half of the 200-thousand homes in the region were destroyed or damaged, mostly by Serbs during their attempts to drive ethnic Albanians from the region during the conflict. 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...