ALBANIA: KOSOVO REFUGEE CRISIS LATEST (2)

(23 Apr 1999) Albanian/Nat As refugees continue to trickle from Kosovo across the border into Albania, the humanitarian effort to move refugees away from the most overcrowded camp continues. Radio announcements instructed displaced Kosovo Albanians staying at the Kukes camp to pack for another journey headed to points still further from their homeland. It is another effort in the campaign by the United Nations refugee agency to move as many people as possible out of Kukes to safer and better equipped areas. Refugees continue to stream across from Kosovo to the border checkpoint at Morini, Albania. The U-N High Commissioner for Refugees estimates over 600-thousand people have fled Kosovo since NATO launched air strikes against Yugoslavia on March 24. The majority of those fleeing are ethnic Albanians apparently being purged from their homes and villages by Serb forces. Over half of the refugee exodus has come to Albania, a country already struggling with its own internal problems and now overwhelmed by homeless Kosovars. More than 40-thousand people crossed the Morini border post last weekend, the second massive wave of refugees from Kosovo to reach the Kukes region since bombing began. The flow shrunk dramatically on Monday, but refugees again appear to be on the move. On Friday, small groups of them walked across the border in driving rain pouring down on already dampened spirits. They continue to tell tales of Serb forces clearing out ethnic Albanian villages and separating families, men and women from one another. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) "All the men in my village have been cleared out and that the women and children have been left behind." SUPER CAPTION: Xherip Rakaj, ethnic Albanian from Petrov In Kukes, the refugee camp that has been home to many of the refugees is in a state of transition. Humanitarian aid agencies are trying to move many of the Kosovars from Kukes to other areas where alternative camps are being set up. The purpose is to distance them from potential border shelling near Kukes and to make temporary room for more people fleeing the Serb province and headed their way. Loud speakers at the muddy camp blared messages through the day telling the ethnic Albanians to pack up for the move elsewhere. At the local station of Radio Kukes, Ermelinda Elezi Kukes told listeners that transportation was available to take refugees to Tirana. Many refugees remain reluctant to leave, fearing they will not make contact with family members who may still be heading out of Kosovo towards Kukes. Others are wary that moving further from the border will just put them further from the home, where they hope they will be returning to when the crisis is over. 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...