UNHCR
Kosovo Return Plan

Update as at 11 June 1999  

I. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW

1. Introduction

This note provides an update on return planning outlined in the "Concept Paper on a Proposed Framework for Return of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons to Kosovo" of 12 May 1999, and the "Next Steps for Return" note of 7 June 1999. Given the fast-moving pace of developments, UNHCR’s plans are a work in progress, and will be constantly updated to keep pace with events.

As soon as the international military force which will be deployed to Kosovo under the Security Council resolution implementing the peace plan confirms that the necessary conditions are in place, UNHCR will re-enter Kosovo. This is likely to happen within 24 - 48 hours of the international forces’ deployment.

UNHCR’s priorities will include:

• immediate provision of emergency assistance to the estimated 600,000 displaced persons in Kosovo, as well as other civilians in need;
• re-establishment of UNHCR’s offices in seven locations around the province, and creation of "humanitarian distribution points";
• establishment of a program to assist displaced persons and refugees to voluntarily return to Kosovo in safety and dignity and to fully reintegrate;
• re-establishment of the international framework for protection monitoring and intervention on behalf of displaced persons and returnees.

2. Operational Assumptions

• Approximately 600,000 displaced persons are inside Kosovo who will require urgent assistance;
• The population remaining in Kosovo is in worse physical condition than the refugees;
• Refugees will start to return in large numbers within three weeks of the international military force entering Kosovo: some will also return spontaneously before that time;
• Up to 500,000 refugees may return to Kosovo from Albania and FYR of Macedonia within three to four months after return has become possible;
• Average family size is 6 people;
• Humanitarian access will be limited in the first month for security reasons (e.g. landmines);
• Up to 50% of returnees will need transport assistance, with the other 50% repatriating spontaneously;
• Up to 50% of housing in Kosovo is damaged or destroyed;
• A certain number of refugees may choose not to return to Kosovo at this time.

In the first wave of return, returnees will be from:

Within Kosovo

• Displaced persons in the open (near Glogovac, Klina, Obilic, Orahuvac, Podujevo, Srbica, Suva Reka, Vucitrn). All will require immediate food and non-food aid, as well as transport assistance.

Albania

• Refugees in border areas in Northern Albania (100,000). Many have tractors, although transport assistance may be necessary for some. Many do not have documents and will require documentation assistance.
• Refugees from elsewhere in Albania (150,000). Many will require transport and documentation assistance.

FYR of Macedonia

• Refugees in camps in FYR of Macedonia. (100,000) This group is from the larger cities and arrived by trains and buses. Nearly all will require transport assistance. Many do not have Kosovo identity documents and will require documentation assistance (e.g. refugee registration cards, ration cards).
• Refugees in host families in FYR of Macedonia. (100,000) Many have documents and vehicles, while a smaller number will require assistance with both.

Montenegro

• IDPs in border collective centres and host families in Montenegro. (50,000). Many have cars, many will also require transport assistance. Many have documents, although others will require assistance on this front.

3. Strategy

Protection: It is imperative that adequate security conditions are established within Kosovo in order for refugees to voluntarily return and reintegrate. In the first phases of return, it is expected that there may be a vacuum of authority in the maintenance of civil law and order, and that security/protection problems are likely to arise. The establishment of adequate protection monitoring and intervention arrangements will be a key priority of UNHCR, in coordination with ICRC, OHCHR, UNICEF and other agencies with protection mandates. UNHCR will also seek to ensure that displaced persons and refugees are able to make a free and well-informed decision regarding return, and will resist organised, politicised efforts to take people back to Kosovo against their will.

Border issues: Refugees must be given freedom of movement to cross the border into Kosovo. Given the destruction of many Kosovar’s identity documents, returnees need to be admitted irrespective of whether or not they posess identity documents. Prior residence should be assumed and any verification for the purpose of identity and other personal documents should be done only after return and by the simplest of measures. Other documents to establish identity, such as refugee registration or ration cards, should be also be recognised as legitimate for return. If necessary, UNHCR will establish mechanisms to provide ad hoc documents prior to border crossing for those in need. UNHCR will also organise "go and see visits" for refugees where required to assess conditions of return and to return to neighbouring countries/provinces, which will require freedom of movement across border crossing points.

Presence: Some 20 UNHCR staff will be in the first humanitarian convoy into Kosovo. UNHCR will establish a presence first in Pristina, which will be the main logistics hub. Within the first 30 days, UNHCR will establish seven field offices around Kosovo, each with a humanitarian distribution point and warehouse under the management of an NGO. After Pristina, offices will be opened in Prizren, Gnijlane and Urosevac, as these will be the major return towns and on major supply routes. Offices will follow in Djakovica, Pec and Mitrovica, bringing the total of seven offices and distribution centres within 30 kilometres of each other. Once these offices are functioning, it is estimated that some 350 staff will be in place. This extensive coverage should give the Office proper coverage and access to all returnees and displaced persons.

Target areas of activities: UNHCR will target its activities in Kosovo in the first weeks in areas where displaced persons are believed to be concentrated, and in areas where refugees will be returning first. A first priority for humanitarian assistance convoys will be the areas where there are believed to be large concentrations of displaced persons near Glogovac, Klina, Obilic, Orahuvac, Podujevo, Srbica, Suva Reka, and Vucitrn. Once security is established inside Kosovo, these groups are expected to return to major cities such as Pec, Pristina and Mitrovica.

Refugees from FYR of Macedonia are expected to return in the first wave to municipalities bordering FYR of Macedonia, Podujevo, Pristina and Urosevac. Most returnees will travel through the Blace/General Jankovic border crossing and will use the main road from Skopje via Urosevac to Pristina. Refugees from Albania will return in the first movements to the areas surrounding Prizren and Djakovica. Displaced persons from Montenegro will return to border municipalities in Western Kosovo, as well as through Pec and further on to Mitrovica in the north east, and Djakovica in the south. Accordingly, UNHCR will target its activities in the initial stages of return in these areas. All UNHCR offices will have warehousing from which aid will be distributed.

Information: Given the realities on the ground, it is extremely important that a proper information flow to refugees and displaced persons on conditions in Kosovo be urgently established, so that they may make a well-informed decision about return. A priority for UNHCR field staff in Kosovo in the crucial first days and weeks will be to gather information on conditions in Kosovo which will be channeled to displaced persons and refugees through a mass information program. A mass information focal point will be located in UNHCR’s offices in Pristina, as well as those already in Skopje and Tirana.

Refugee Program: While it is envisaged that there will be a sizable return movement within the first three to four months, all displaced persons and refugee programs and structures in Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Montenegro will continue. The maintenance of adequate security arrangements, registration procedures and winterisation activities will remain key priorities.

II. DEPLOYMENT PLANS

1. Initial Preparations

A humanitarian assistance strategy is being developed by UNHCR, together with UN agencies, UNHCR implementing partners and NGOs providing sectoral emergency assistance, including health, water/sanitation, and shelter.

2. Activities Underway

UNHCR Ad Hoc Return Task Force: Given the rapid pace of developments in Kosovo, a senior level task force, which incorporates the Regional Return Unit (previously established in May) was also established in Skopje this week to step-up planning efforts already commenced with counterparts in FYR of Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

UNHCR Inter-Agency Return Task Force: The Task Force was initiated in Skopje in early-May to share plans with humanitarian assistance actors, and to coordinate with sectoral NGOs to develop a "best practice" and standardized framework. It has been agreed by the Task Force that UNHCR, in coordination with other donors, selected implementing partners and operational NGOs will provide an initial emergency response through the designated seven humanitarian assistance distribution points.

Military Liaison: UNHCR has appointed two liaison officers in Skopje to maintain close liaison with NATO/KFOR, on behalf of UNHCR, UN agencies and NGOs, to prioritize access of humanitarian assistance to Kosovo.

UNHCR personnel: International and national staff for initial deployment to Kosovo have been identified and are being pre-positioned in Skopje. Those for the first convoy are already in place or en route.

Supply Chain: To ensure that a supply chain is ensured, and to maintain liaison with WFP on food supply chain, UNHCR is enhancing existing capacity by establishing a Kosovo Support Unit in Skopje which will be functional 12 June 1999. The Unit will also provide general administrative, logistical and coordination support for UNHCR’s operations in Kosovo.

Mine Action: To address the threat posed by mines to humanitarian organisations, UNHCR in coordination with UNMAS, has requested mine action agency HELP to prepare for the immediate deployment of teams to Kosovo. Further discussion with other agencies such as Halo Trust and NPA are also planned. A HELP representative will join the first humanitarian convoy into Kosovo.

3. Deployment to Kosovo

First Humanitarian Team: UNHCR will lead the first UN and NGO humanitarian team into Kosovo. The inter-agency convoy will bring 250 tonnes of food and non-food assistance within 24 - 48 hours of deployment of the first international military forces into Kosovo. UNHCR will be supplying over 50 tonnes of bottled water, tents, hygienic kits, blankets and plastic sheeting within the first hours of arrival in Kosovo. UNHCR will also take in office containers, office equipment and telecoms to reestablish its office in Pristina. As part of the coordinated humanitarian effort, WFP will supplement UNHCR’s non-food aid by providing five trucks of humantiarian daily rations and wheat flour. UNICEF will also be bringing in vital supplies such as water purification kits, mine awareness items, hygienic kits and tents. Teams from UNMAS and NGOs involved in mine action will also be in the convoy to assist in the mine awareness and demining aspect of the mission.

First weeks: During the first week when UNHCR returns to Kosovo, its objectives will be to deliver immediate life-saving assistance to displaced persons and others through the establishment of humanitarian assistance points in Gnjilane, Pristina, Urosevac and Prizren; to reestablish its operational base in Pristina, including premises, staff, equipment and telecoms; to deploy key staff for all field offices to Pristina; and to conduct an initial needs and resource assessment of displaced persons and the remaining population, targeting areas where the displaced are believed to be concentrated.

Relief centres: UNHCR will plan to set up a number of relief centres along major routes where return is anticipated, and in areas near where the displaced are concentrated, for returnees and the displaced to stop and receive immediate assistance (water, food, plastic, etc.).

4. Operational Plans for FYR of Macedonia/Albania/Montenegro

Preparation for return movements to Kosovo is underway in Albania, FYR of Macedonia and Montenegro. UNHCR’s priority activities in the first weeks, which are already underway, are to conduct mass information campaigns on conditions of return, the repatriation process and specific repatriation procedures; to establish appropriate mechanisms in collaboration with concerned parties to ensure that returning refugees possess the necessary documentation to enable return; to set up arrangements for transportation of returnees; to establish way-stations along major routes of return to provide assistance with documentation and humanitarian relief; and to arrange modalities for return with government authorities.

5. Sectoral Responsibilities in Kosovo

Protection: UNHCR will immediately establish protection monitoring frameworks to assess the security/human rights conditions in the municipalities, and to provide information to UNHCR offices in FYR of Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro to feed the mass information campaign. To ensure that returnees and displaced persons are adequately protected, UNHCR in collaboration with agencies such as ICRC and OHCHR, will liaise with the international forces established in Kosovo on security and public law and order issues. Special attention will be paid to monitoring and assisting communities at risk, including the remaining Serb minority.

Transport and Logistics: In the first phase of the return, warehousing and transportation of all non-food items will be conducted from a "logistics hub" located in FYR of Macedonia. Warehousing capacity in Kosovo will be immediately identified or established (rubhalls) in the seven locations of UNHCR Field Offices. A principal NGO in each of these locations is currently being identified by UNHCR and will be responsible for secondary distribution, identifying and staffing secondary distribution points and commodity tracking (ration cards). In the second phase, ECHO has identified an NGO for each municipality. While there is a preference to rely upon local transportation capacities, UNHCR will also have to establish a fleet of international trucking teams in order to ensure immediate cross-border delivery of items from FYR of Macedonia and pending re-establishment of local capacities in Kosovo. Some of the DFID-seconded trucking teams of Albania are already being redeployed to Skopje. DRC will provide transport/logistics and warehousing under an existing arrangement with UNHCR. In agreement with UNHCR, transportation of returnees and their personal belongings will be conducted by IOM while WFP will be responsible for the transportation of food items to EDPs in accordance with the existing MOU with UNHCR.

Food: WFP will be responsible for the procurement of basic food items. In accordance with the existing Memorandum of Understanding with UNHCR, WFP will organise the delivery of basic food items to a number of Extended Delivery Points (EDPs) in Kosovo, the location of which will be determined in cooperation with UNHCR and implementing partners to be identified. During the initial phase, WFP will mobilise a rapid response team by helicopters to deliver food commodities to pockets of needy communities which are difficult to access. WFP will set-up field offices and warehouses in the same seven locations as UNHCR. While UNHCR will be responsible for distribution, WFP will provide, when appropriate, logistical assistance in transporting food to final distribution points. UNHCR will establish, in consultation with WFP, an effective monitoring and reporting system. Wherever appropriate, WFP will provide baked bread for distribution utilising local bakeries and by setting-up mobile and movable bakery facilities. Returnees and displaced person will be provided with travel rations and food packages being prepared by a number of NGOS to cover needs until regular food deliveries are established at the community level.

Non-Food Items: Distribution of returnee assistance will be conducted inside Kosovo. UNHCR will ensure a basic returnee assistance package composed of seven core items while OFDA and ECHO will provide complimentary items, including some kitchen sets, baby kits, shoes, clothes, underwear, and basic tools not included in the shelter kit. UNHCR’s package will, inter alia, consist of blankets, mattresses, hygienic kits, soap, jerrycans and candles.

Shelter: It is estimated that roughly 50% of the houses in Kosovo are damaged or destroyed (subject to on-the-ground assessment). UNHCR will provide basic shelter materials for approximately 35,000 housing units. Basic shelter kits will include plastic sheeting (roof and windows), some timber, a tool kit and possibly window/door frames. Procurement has already been initiated to cover the needs for 15,000 to 20,000 houses and some 15,000 "winterised" tents are already in the pipeline. Tents will essentially be used to complement existing housing capacity for badly-destroyed housing units and provisions are also made to rehabilitate some collective centres which could accommodate especially vulnerable returnees if needed. Wherever possible, preference will be given to local procurement for comparable prices, quality and delivery time. The coordination of shelter rehabilitation efforts by a wide variety of actors will be a major and difficult task, and will be conducted in the initial stages by UNHCR. Various discussions are already ongoing in FYR of Macedonia and Albania between shelter technical experts of UNHCR, major donors and NGOs/implementing partners. Plans for this key sector will be finalised on a priority basis. It is expected that this sector will eventually be led by the recovery agencies.

Health, Education and Community Services: Coordination in the health sector to ensure that displaced persons, returnees and others in need have access to essential health and education services will involve UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, ICRC, as well as major international NGOs. Health sector objectives, strategies and activities will be implemented in a phased sequence. Emphasis during the first phase of two to three months will be placed on meeting the basic health and nutritional needs of populations who remained in Kosovo, and on further identification of additional needs and resources. This will be achieved by the rehabilitation and revitalisation of pre-existing health structures. Services will be based on a primary health care strategy, with particular emphasis on absorption of qualified medical staff and setting up services which are likely to be sustainable in medium to long terms. UNICEF will coordinate the deployment of mobile medical clinics in cooperation with UNHCR and international and local NGOs. Other assistance to be provided should include rehabilitation and recovery of village health stations, rapid delivery of essential drugs and basic medical materials and immunisation campaigns targeting children. As coordinating agency for the education sector, UNICEF will also, inter alia, provide school kits and establish guidelines on minimum standards for primary school rehabilitation. UNHCR’s emergency standby arrangement with Radda Barnen will be activated immediately upon initiation of the return. This will enable the deployment of Community Services Officers within the seven UNHCR Field Offices in Kosovo. Partnerships with various implementing agencies will be established as soon as needs have been assessed in situ.

Water and Sanitation: Pending additional procurement, UNHCR will be redeploying some of the emergency water equipment and part of the water/sanitation fleet from Albania to Kosovo. Discussions are underway between UNHCR water/sanitation technical experts, donor technical experts and planned implementing partners in order to ensure full coordination and common approaches.

Humanitarian-Military Liaison: UNHCR will have a Liaison Officer responsible for liaison with the international security force at the HQS level in Pristina, and a Liaison Officer from the military will be seconded to UNHCR. Field Offices will also establish mechanisms for regular coordination with military counterparts. UNHCR military liaison officers already posted in Skopje and Pristina will maintain close contact and coordination with their counterparts in Kosovo.

InterAgency Coordination: UNHCR will work closely in Kosovo with WFP, UNICEF, UNHCHR, UNMAS and other UN agencies, international organisations such as the ICRC and IOM, the local Red Cross movement, international and local NGOs in all sectors, as well as government partners such as DIFD and FOCUS. To ensure proper coordination, a senior coordinator for inter-agency coordination will be seconded from OCHA to the Office of the Special Envoy to establish a coordination cell in Pristina. It is expected that staff from other UN agencies will also be seconded to this unit. At the local level, coordination mechanisms with agencies and NGOs will be set up by UNHCR in each municipality.

Geographic Information System: UNHCR has a geographic information system unit based in Skopje which will collaborate with partner agencies to provide a coordinated approach to humanitarian information collection and analysis relating to Kosovo. As part of this process, a multi-sectoral Rapid Village Assessment, developed in consultation with technical experts and key NGOs and compatible with the existing UNHCR geographic information system, will be undertaken by UNHCR and partner agencies immediately upon return to Kosovo. The assessment will collect information on population, shelter damage, infrastructure, mines, health, water supply, protection and assistance and provide important baseline information until detailed sectoral assessments can be undertaken. This information will be fed into UNHCR’s mass information campaign on return conditions.

Information campaign: Given the realities on the ground, it is extremely important that a proper information flow to refugees and displaced persons on conditions in Kosovo be urgently established. Together with NGO partner Media Action International, UNHCR is in the process of implementing a mass information campaign for refugees and IDPs to provide accurate and objective information regarding conditions in Kosovo, the repatriation process and specific procedures for return, as well as humanitarian assistance which is available. UNHCR has appointed mass information coordinators in Skopje and Tirana to work with the 15 staff of Media Action International in the region to provide information on television, radio and through information brochures in the camps. The first information brochure on the implications of the initial peace plan and repatriation planning was issued this week. This will be updated on a regular basis. A mass information focal point will also be appointed in Pristina as soon as UNHCR resumes operations there.