I beg your indulgence. I have a few announcements to make before I get to your questions. First. a senior State Department official is visiting Serbia Montenegro. including the province of Kosovo. to assess the situation of internally displaced persons and refugees in the region. and to encourage the return of Kosovar internally displaced persons to their homes. Im talking about Julia Taft. who. as you know. is the Assistant Secretary of State for Population. Refugees and Migration. She will meet with government officials in the region and representatives of major international organizations and nongovernmental organizations during her visit. which will last from today until Saturday. The bureau that she heads has primary responsibility for US refugee assistance programs. Her visit will underscore US concern and commitment to provide assistance for conflict victims in Kosovo and the region. The US Government has provided more than $11 million in the last few months through AID and the PRN bureau to meet humanitarian needs caused -by the conflict in Kosovo. As a result of the ongoing conflict there. we estimate there are some 250.000 internally displaced persons in Kosovo. another 26.000 in Montenegro and 14.000 refugees In Albania. It is estimated that between 60.000 and 100.000 of those displaced within Kosovo are without sheltera situation that becomes increasingly grave as winter approaches. Assistant Secretary Taft will urge Serb officials to make concrete progress on creating conditions for the return of Internally displaced persons. particularly those who are shelterless and inaccessible to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
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refugees refugee Refugees