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AmeriCares Continued Response in Kosovo: Update 15 Feb 2000

Situation: Ethnic tension continues to haunt the Kosovo province, despite the presence of UN peacekeeping forces. Violence erupted recently in Mitrovica, a multiethnic city regarded as the last battlefield in the war for Kosovo. Gunfire and explosion sounded over the northern side of the city, home to approximately 9,000 Serbs and 1,500 Albanians. Kosovar citizens are also suffering from a general lack of resources, a problem exacerbated by the cold winter months. Pristina residents in particular have faced a severe power crisis, with thousands of residents receiving electricity for less than six hours a day.
Response: AmeriCares recently airlifted 45,000 pounds of essential medicines, medical supplies, new winter clothing, outdoor gear, gloves, hats, blankets and other relief materials to Kosovar citizens. The relief shipment, which departed Ostende, Belgium on January 21, arrived at Pristina Airport later that day. Upon arrival, the relief supplies were immediately delivered to hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities throughout the nation. AmeriCares will continue to aid the victims of the Kosovo crisis for as long as there is a need.

AmeriCares was the first international aid agency to deliver supplies for the Balkan crisis, with a planeload of 33,000 pounds arriving in Macedonia on April 1st. Since then, AmeriCares has completed twenty-five additional airlifts and sent ten sea containers to Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. On July 14, NATO authorized AmeriCares to deliver relief supplies directly into Pristina. Over 1,000,000 pounds of medicines, medical and nutritional supplies, baby food, infant formula, blankets, tents, clothing and personal hygiene products have been delivered to the refugees. AmeriCares is working directly with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, the Caritas organization and UNHCR to distribute the supplies evenly and efficiently to the returned refugees through local clinics, and food distribution programs throughout the province.

Credentials: AmeriCares has delivered more than $12 million of assistance to Kosovar refugees since April of 1998. We are registered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (License #A0275). We are also a licensed drug wholesaler, and a licensed DEA Exporter (License #RA0178170). AmeriCares solicits donations of medicines, medical supplies, and other relief materials from manufacturers, and delivers them quickly and reliably to indigenous health and welfare professionals in more than 130 countries around the world. Financial contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations are used to defray the cost of AmeriCares' programs. Since 1982, AmeriCares has maintained an operating overhead of less than 2%.

AmeriCares is a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs - and supports long-term healthcare programs - for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.