OFFICE OF THE DSRSG FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
Damage assessment: Across Kosovo,
some 120,000 dwellings are completely destroyed or damaged in more than
1,100 villages and towns - this represents more than a third of Kosovo's
homes.
Repairable houses: Some 57,500 Emergency Repair Kits have been distributed under the joint ECHO, USAID and UNHCR emergency rehabilitation program designed to provide households with at least one dry room until sustainable reconstruction can begin. Some 2,000 remaining kits containing plastic sheeting, wood strips and other repair materials are being distributed for emergency cases or for houses needing additional material.
Expanded Roofing Kits: Some 10,600 of more than 12,600 Expanded Roofing Kits with beams and heavy roofing plastic have been distributed by USAID and UNHCR to families who agree to shelter other needy Kosovars, with up to 18 persons benefiting from each kit. Other initiatives underway across Kosovo include the EC Task Force's home rehabilitation program targeting 3,300 dwellings, ECHO's program in the Mitrovica and Pec regions that has assisted 360 out of 420 targeted households, and UNMIK's $8.9 million program is targeting more than 2,500 houses.
Pre-fabricated shelters: UNHCR is providing 420 locally-made rigid shelters to families in the Vucitrn and Mitrovica regions who were unable to find host family shelter, while 500 pre-fabricated units have been assembled in other devastated villages in the Pec and Mitrovica regions.
Temporary Community Shelters: UNHCR has identified some 19,100 places in 113 collective shelters should Kosovars need temporary winter shelter. To-date, only some 6,600 persons - homeless Albanians and non-Albanian IDPs and refugees - are living in UNHCR's temporary shelters.
Tents: While 15,000 heated all-season tents were delivered, only 1,400 were distributed to Kosovar families who seem to be mainly using them for storage or kept for once reconstruction begins.
Stoves: UNHCR has to-date distributed over 28,000 stoves across Kosovo; other agencies are similarly distributing stoves targeting vulnerable groups, host families, social/medical institutions and temporary shelters.
Firewood: UNHCR has distributed over 50,200 cubic meters (cm3) of firewood to more than 16,700 families. ECHO has delivered 1.5 cm3 of wood apiece to 5,100 families in the Mitrovica region and IOM will distribute 15,000 cm3 in the Prizren region. Other agencies are undertaking additional firewood distributions.
Fuel for Community Facilities: 95 UNHCR-rehabilitated schools received stoves and 21 cm3 of firewood apiece. UNHCR's temporary community shelters will also be heated through the winter.
Non-food Items: Since June, UNHCR has distributed over 822,000 blankets, 444,000 mattresses, 94,000 kitchen sets and some 570 cubic meters of winter clothing and children's boots. Also available are 100,000 blankets, 63,500 sleeping bags, nine containers of clothing and some 17,000 additional stoves.
Destroyed houses: Assisted reconstruction of Kosovo's many destroyed dwellings will begin in the year 2000, initially targeting vulnerable groups in what will be a massive, multi-year initiative to rebuild devastated communities.
UNHCR Public Information - telephone: 501.509-516
This document is intended for public information purposes only. It is not an official UN document.