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CANADA RESPONDS TO DEEPENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN KOSOVO REGION

March 30, 1999 (12:45 p.m. EST) No. 69

CANADA RESPONDS TO DEEPENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

IN KOSOVO REGION

The Government of Canada today announced supplementary aid measures in response to the increasing humanitarian catastrophe involving refugees from Kosovo. Canada will provide an additional $10 million in humanitarian aid and will assist in an airlift of emergency supplies to the region.

Minister for International Co-operation and Minister responsible for La Francophonie Diane Marleau announced that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will contribute $10 million in humanitarian aid to be distributed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). CIDA will also consider possible collaboration with Canadian non-governmental organizations. The money will help provide those affected by the conflict -- including people who have fled to neighbouring countries -- with basic necessities such as food, shelter and medical aid.

"Canadians are deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region," said Madame Marleau. "Approximately 25 percent of the Kosovo population are internally displaced or are considered refugees, making this undeniably a major humanitarian crisis."

The Department of National Defence (DND) will provide air transport for moving emergency supplies within the region.

"The members of the Canadian Forces are always willing to help alleviate human suffering," said National Defence Minister Art Eggleton. "We are pleased to be able to assist in this crisis."

"The international community must do all it can to alleviate the plight of the hundreds of thousands of refugees that Milosevic's brutality has produced through his campaign of ethnic cleansing over the past months," said Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy. "We must also work to ensure that all parties that violate obligations under international humanitarian law are brought to justice."

Mr. Axworthy also reiterated that Canada will do all it can to assist the office of Louise Arbour and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in its task of gathering evidence against atrocities committed against the Kosovar population by the regime of President Slobodan Milosevic.

Latest figures given by UNHCR indicate that 567 000 people have been affected by the actions undertaken by the regime of President Milosevic. This estimate represents both people internally displaced within Kosovo and those displaced within the region.

With today's announcement, Canada has contributed a total of $13.18 million toward humanitarian aid in the Kosovo region. This contribution has been distributed through UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP), CARE Canada, the ICRC and UNHCR.

Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 1999 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Debora Brown

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

Randy Mylyk

Office of the Minister of National Defence

(613) 996-3100