the kosovo crisis

CARE in Albania and Macedonia
CARE Deploys Relief Workers to Albania

CONTACT:
Rita Stone-Smith: CARE USA Press Office
404-681-2552, ext. 250
770-719-3282, home
stoner@care.org

ALBANIA: April 1, 1999 - Today, CARE is deploying an assessment team to Albania, where up to 170,000 refugees are expected to cross the border, fleeing NATO air strikes and continued fighting in Yugoslavia. The most critical and immediate needs in Albania are shelter, transportation and health.

Bob Macpherson, of CARE USA's Emergency Unit will be available for media interviews by satellite phone while in Albania. Macpherson recently was in Kosovo where he helped coordinate CARE's emergency response before programming was suspended. Macpherson is joined by Claudia Chang, who will manage information and media relations on the ground.

MACEDONIA: Visit CARE's web site to hear about how the fluid situation in Macedonia is unfolding. Thousands of refugees are crossing the border - as many as 15,000 on Wednesday - fleeing from conflict in Kosovo. CARE has staff in Macedonia implementing relief programs.

"Refugees were coming both on foot and by car. The ones on foot seemed to be very ill clothed," says Robbins. "A lot of them did not have winter coats and it was quite cold and windy. Some had small bags of possessions with them. Some had nothing at all."

CARE: CARE is operating relief programs throughout the region because of the Kosovo conflict. Programs provide health and basic needs such as shelter, food and clothing. Efforts in Macedonia and Albania will focus on emergency distributions and shelter, health and transportation.