Mr. Speaker. an exodus from Kosovo of biblical proportions is taking place. Thousands upon thousands of refugees stream across the border 24 hours a day. There was a newspaper headline in Europe that said *Europes turn in the killing fields." That writer must have seen what I saw. a catastrophe that should have been anticipated. Ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo are now paying a heavy price for this poor judgment. I just returned from a 4day visit to the Balkans. I went to focus on humanitarian conditions and the massive numbers of refugees flooding out of Kosovo each day. I traveled to Kukes and Morina on the KosovoAlbania border. And when I left. an estimated 270.000 to 300.000 refugees had crossed the border. The scene there is heartwrenching. Our first introduction was the stench. the overpowering smell of urine and feces from refugees with no place to go to the bathroom. In many places the ground was covered with feces. It will not be long before disease breaks out. especially among the people who are already dehydrated. malnourished. and sick. Four cases of measles had been confirmed as of last Tuesday. Refugees are everywhere. camped on hillsides. along the road. in parks and plazas. and in parking lots. Most arrive as an extended family in carts and trailers being pulled by farm tractors or. in some cases. by horses. Some arrive in cars. but many are on foot. an unending procession of people who had been threatened: and many have been separated from their families.
Keywords matched
refugees Refugees