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The IRC, which mainined one of the largest aid operations within Kosovo, successfully completed its programs in the province in December 2004. These included an expansive public health program and operation of a nationwide pharmacy network, referral and advocacy for refugee medical care and social services, and micro-enterprise development and support for asylum seekers. The last program implemented by IRC teams helped Kosovo rebuild a once-prosperous tree fruit sector. The project successfully increased apple production by 40% for the farmers who participated. Summary
In 1998, the political and social situation in the Yugoslavia province of Kosovo deteriorated into violent conflict, forcing one million civilians into surrounding countries by the spring of 1999. The IRC responded with emergency shelter, health services, water and sanitation, and food distribution. During the mass repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees in summer 1999, the IRC expanded emergency assistance to accommodate the needs of returnees and their communities. Today the IRC focuses on post-conflict development.
Background
The 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict came against a backdrop of nearly a decade of indiscriminate violence, oppression and ethnic discrimination against the province's 80 percent ethnic-Albanian majority. In 1998, fighting between Yugoslav forces and ethnic-Albanian Kosovar separatists erupted, driving 300,000 civilians into the mountains and many more across the border into Albania. Yugoslav armies and paramilitaries swept through Albanian towns, destroying homes, farms, and blocking humanitarian aid deliveries. In spring 1999, peace talks in Rambouillet, France failed, and Yugoslav repression intensified. NATO commenced bombing Yugoslavia in March 1999 with the aim of stopping Serbian ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. However, under cloak of the NATO operation, Yugoslav authorities began intensive depopulating of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, through killings, forced expulsions and widespread destruction of property.
A peace agreement on June 9, 1999 between Yugoslavia and NATO ended the military conflict and began a rapid repatriation of Kosovars to their homes. The refugees returned to find houses and communities, and the general infrastructure destroyed. The effects of the conflict also struck at the core of Kosovar society, as many civilians sustained loss of family members, homes, jobs and educational opportunities. The Role of the IRC
The IRC has worked in Kosovo since 1997, maintaining one of the largest aid operations. The IRC began emergency food distributions, shelter assistance and medical services in 1998, and when a million Kosovars fled their homes in 1999, the IRC provided comprehensive services to meet the refugees' critical needs and provide support for host communities. As the masses returned to Kosovo in summer 1999, the IRC implemented an extensive humanitarian aid and rehabilitation assistance program. IRC's emergency projects included distribution of water, cooking supplies, tents, clothing and blankets, construction of sanitation facilities, and implementation of children's psychosocial and educational programs. The IRC repaired thousands of homes and community structures, including water treatment and electrical facilities, roads, hospitals and schools.
With the aims of promoting community, economic and social recovery, the IRC provides community development assistance to villages, local NGOs and civic groups. The IRC has worked extensively with marginalized and vulnerable groups - including minorities, rural populations, internally displaced persons, refugees and women - to promote full involvement in community and institutional life.
IRC's main areas of operations are in and around Pristina/Prishtine, Kosovska Mitrovica/Mitrovice and Gnjilane/Gjilan. Programs
The IRC assists Kosovo's citizens and government to build and participate in a functioning, pluralistic civil society, with programs in civil society development, return and integration, and economic development. The IRC focuses on restoring and promoting dignity and self-reliance; encouraging co-existence; supporting stable, vibrant communities; preventing renewed oppression and conflict; and facilitating transfer of responsibilities from the international community to national and local partners. Currently the IRC implements the following programs:
Support for the Economic Expansion of Small Farms: To help Kosovo rebuild a once-prosperous tree fruit sector, IRC, in partnership with Land O'Lakes and funded by USAID through Save the Children, this program provides fruit growers with training, technical assistance in modern "best practices" technology, and help in organizing and registering grower associations, research institutions, municipal and ministerial officials, fruit processors, wholesalers and micro-credit institutions.
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