Restored Hope

Some 20 million Euros will be allocated for the ongoing repair of war damages in Macedonia. These funds will be secured by the European Union, the USA and various humanitarian organisations, with the plan of making around 1,500 individual housing units in villages located in the crisis area habitable by the end of the year.

AIM Skopje, October 4, 2001

After the disarming of Albanian extremists, Macedonia has entered a much more complex stage in the implementation of the general plan for the consolidation of peace and overall stabilisation. Much effort and hard work, patience, tact and skill will be needed to if not forget, then at least heal the wounds caused by armed conflicts in the last seven months of the security crisis and create conditions for the re-establishment of inter-ethnic confidence. Let us remind that under the pressure or in fear of war some 160 thousand citizens of Macedonia abandoned their homes. The data mention that 76 thousand people (mostly Macedonians) were displaced within the country and 84 thousand (mostly Albanians) fled abroad, predominantly to Kosovo. With the first days of autumn the exiles started slowly coming back. The number of registered returning refugees is growing higher by the day. According to the UNHCR, there are still some 20 thousand Macedonian citizens in Kosovo.

In cooperation with the international mentors, the Macedonian Government has prepared an action plan for the repair of war damages for which it needs almost 20 million Euros out of the total 30 million provided by the European Union through its CARDS programme as assistance for the normalisation of life here. Large donations have been announced or have already been partially given by the Governments of USA - USD 5 million, Holland – 23 million Euros, Germany - DM 7 million, Canada - USD 20 thousand, etc. Unfortunately, money is coming slowly to the Fund for Reconstruction and Rebuilding of Damaged Facilities because, as a rule, the payment of pledged grants is conditioned by the ratification of the Ohrid Peace Agreement, i.e. adoption of Constitutional amendments which are taking rather long and, consequently, the cause of frustration for the Macedonian officials.

To priority in the Action Plan is the repair and adaptation of individual housing units in regions where the most intensive fighting occurred. Until now, expert teams have assessed damages on 1,660 facilities and categorised them according to the extent of suffered damages.

First assessments of civil engineers have shown that by the end of this year, security conditions permitting, it would be possible to make around 1,500 houses fit for living. Some USD 1.3 million would be required for these works. Around 70 percent of assessed facilities fall in the first and second category, which means that they had suffered minor damages which would be easy to repair. Some 20 percent of houses have suffered the third category damages and would require more extensive reconstruction so that these would have to wait for spring and better financial conditions. Major damages which cannot be repaired have been registered in 10 percent of cases. According to Civil-Engineering Authorities, which are operating within the Ministry of Transport and Communications, these buildings would be pulled down and instead of them new ones built.

In the Kumanovo village of Lopate the repair of war damaged facilities first started and is far ahead. Some nineteen houses in this village have been repaired and three more are currently under reconstruction. Two thirds of repaired private houses belong to Macedonians and one third are the property of Albanians. The UNHCR told us that negotiations are in progress with several humanitarian organisations which can provide funds and donate the required construction materials so that this, truly urgent work, could be completed while the good weather holds. Most active are a non-governmental organisations like MCMS - The Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation - which takes care of the distribution of materials, "Shelter Now International" which is carrying out repairs in the villages of Aracinovo and Brnjarci around Skopje, and the Italian "Momivodo" which has recently started the reconstruction of third category facilities in the village of Lesok, near Tetovo.

Trucks hired by the non-governmental civil association "The Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation" come every day to Aracinovo, Brnjarci and the settlement of "Ekonomija" in the Skopje region, to Lopate, Opaje and Matejce around Kumanovo, as well as to Tetovo villages of Poroj, Dzepiciste, Neprosteno, Lesok and Tearce. They bring and distribute free of charge bricks, roofing-tiles, cement bags, lime and glass to the local population. Many house owners have rolled up their sleeves and obtained what they needed hurrying to repair what can be repaired before the start of the rain season and winter.

During his last week's working visit to Macedonia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Rudd Lubers informed that the UNHCR activists on the ground have visited 61 out of 90 villages affected by war conflicts. In cooperation with representatives of the Macedonian Government, Parliament and local authorities they worked and are still working on the assessment of war damages. Work is progressing slowly because the assessment cannot be made without the presence of owners of damaged houses. Assessments are carried out at the same time in the Skopje villages of Aracinovo and Radusa, the Tetovo village of Sipkovici, as well as villages around Kumanovo - Lipkovo, Nikustak, Matejce and Vistica.

Together with the Macedonian Government and World Health Organisation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is making intensive preparations for the repair and reconstruction of damaged schools, infirmaries and other collective care facilities in crisis areas. House owners are making minor repairs on their own, while local partners are hired for major ones. For the time being no one knows who will be entrusted with the construction of new houses in place of the demolished ones.

The next on the Action Plan priority list of the Macedonian Government for the repair of war damages is the reconstruction and revitalisation of power grids in the regions of Skopje, Kumanovo and Tetovo with the planned investment of 4.6 million Euros. After this 100 Euros worth monthly compensations will be paid to collective shelters and families that took in refugees until January 2002 for covering electricity and water bills. The sum of 5.86 million Euros has been allocated for these purposes. The plan is also to pay half the amount of family compensations to University and high-school students whose places in student hostels have been taken by people from crisis areas so that they could find private accommodation and continue with their education.

The Coordinating Body for Overcoming the Crisis has organised a number of activities aimed at facilitating and accelerating the normalisation of life and motivating citizens temporarily accommodated in collective centres, with relatives or friends to decide to return to their homes despite rather poor security guarantees of the competent local and international authorities, naturally if they were among the lucky ones whose homes or flats suffered minor damages and were not robbed. Those less fortunate ones whose houses were demolished or burned down will have to be patient and find a winter shelter until the spring when the realisation of major construction projects, i.e. the construction of new individual and collective housing settlements according to international standards will start. At least that was the promise given by US Ambassador to Macedonia Mike Inick to denizens of Tetovo during their recent meeting.

The engaged experts of the NATO, Macedonian Army and the police are still clearing mines laid at main and minor roads connecting the war-affected villages. According to the Government Crises Headquarters, although the work is progressing slowly and cautiously, but successfully, there is much left to be done! Also, the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the most endangered areas was organised in cooperation with representatives of the UNHCR and civil humanitarian associations, like MCMS. In this way people were able to go to their villages under the protection of OSCE and EU observer teams and see for themselves the state of their homes, the surrounding and living conditions. Sceptics called them tourist convoys, whereas the optimists saw them as a ray of hope for the salvation. And, according to the High Commissioner for Refugees in the Skopje headquarters, they were right. There is a bus going twice a day between the villages of Rogacevo and Tetovo, as well as Tetovo and Sipkovica. The idea on organising transport along and across the ethnic line is UNHCR's doing and its representatives are not hiding satisfaction with their success at establishing regular bus line in the Skopje region too and the fact that

this might be the reason why some 300 displaced persons have decided to return. They are sure that the number of these line will soon increase.

The first to come back in larger numbers were villagers of Aracinovo and Brnjevci, near Skopje. Current conditions are not very favourable for the return of the villagers to Kumanovo crisis area, while those from Tetovo region still do not feel insecure and refuse to leave their temporary residence. Tetovo denizens ask to be guaranteed permanent security and reliable protection, i.e. the return of the Macedonian police to all villages before they go back.

BRANKA NANEVSKA

(AIM)