Almost a year has passed since the commencement
of the crisis in Kosovo and in the surrounding regions. UNICEF has been
active in responding to the humanitarian crisis from the very beginning.
Here you will find summaries of many areas in which UNICEF continues to
make a difference for children in the face of conflict, trauma and continuing
tensions.
Kosovo
Education
- UNICEF compiled unofficial estimates of the numbers of children attending school: 257,416 Albanian Kosovars and 10,219 non-Albanian Kosovars
- Tens of thousands of school kits were widely distributed with large quantities of chairs, desks and blackboards.
- Tents have been erected throughout Kosovo. Over 500 tents have been made available. Flooring, lights, stoves and furniture have also been provided. In November, the first complete winterized tent school was erected in a Serb enclave in Gjilane.
- UNICEF has procured rechargeable battery operated lights for temporary tent classrooms.
- Teachers' stipends are being been paid with the assistance of UNICEF.
- UNICEF has enabled Turkish and Bosniak children to use textbooks in their national languages based on the Serbian curriculum and to share facilities with Albanian students.
Health
- The UNICEF immunization programme has made great progress. UNICEF assisted in the second round of vaccination in all municipalities in the Prizren region.
- UNICEF Emergency health kits have been distributed throughout the territory.
- UNICEF has made cash grants for fuel and stoves to winterize maternity rooms.
- UNICEF installed a generator in the pediatric ward of Prishtina hospital to ensure that during the current period of power-cuts the abandoned children there are protected from the cold weather.
Child Protection
- UNICEF continues to advocate for and intervene on behalf of juvenile offenders being held in detention facilities.
- UNICEF is creating a database of all youth groups operating throughout the territory of Kosovo.
- UNICEF continues to act on behal;f of vulnerable Roma children.
Mine Awareness
- More than a million mine awareness posters and leaflets were distributed to returning Kosovar refugees and populations who remained within the territory.
- A UNICEF psychosocial project supports child landmine casualties at Prishtina hospital.
Albania
- During the refugee crisis, UNICEF coordinated an intensive campaign to educate Kosovar refugees and the Albanian population about the dangers of the large quantities of landmines, unexploded ordnance and booby-traps in Kosovo.
- UNICEF distributed education kits (school materials and supplies) and recreation kits (sports equipment and games) to refugee and Albanian children.
- UNICEF supported the printing of copies of a child health book for parents and caregivers.
FYR Macedonia
- UNICEF's health unit helped rehabilitate water and sanitation facilities in primary health stations and schools.
- UNICEF is conducting a national curriculum review to determine the extent to which life skills, peace education, gender issues, basic numeracy and literacy and learning achievements are integrated into children's education in Macedonia.
- UNICEF held training workshops for teaching staff on how to integrate disabled children into normal programmes.
- UNICEF is supporting the training of Roma teachers.
Serbia (Yugoslavia)
- UNICEF distributed hygiene items to maternity facilities across Serbia, and continues to monitor the coverage and care of internally displaced women who are pregnant.
- UNICEF recently delivered hygiene and other care items to the Belgrade Social Welfare Centre, the Kraljevo Public Health Institute and the Democratic Association of Romas in Belgrade.
- UNICEF began the repair of school facilities in the Kraljevo and Kragujevac districts of Serbia. UNICEF is also furnishing school kits containing desks, blackboards and other materials.
Montenegro (Yugoslavia)
- A mine awareness information campaign has been launched among displaced Kosovo Albanians and Serbians currently living in Montenegro.