Belgrade has made a terrible situation worse by interfering with efforts to provide food and other basic necessities. We are exploring every possible option for helping these people before it is too late. And we welcome efforts by Greek NGOs and the International Committee of the Red Cross to open up a relief lifeline, which we hope will move desperately needed supplies to the population at risk. In addition to the internally displaced, more than half a million Kosovars have fled the region since the latest violence began. Of these, the vast majority are now in Albania and Macedonia, where the terrain is rugged, the weather harsh and the infrastructure limited.
Feverish efforts are underway to build camps and provide services.
Last week, NATO approved Operation Allied Harbor, under which 8,000 troops will work with relief agencies in Albania to establish camps, deliver aid and ensure security. The U.S. Information Agency is participating in an effort to provide internal communications facilities at refugee camps in order to help reunify families. Many of the refugees streaming out of Kosovo have reported Serb war crimes and crimes against humanity. These reported abuses include the widespread and systematic destruction of entire settlements, the burning of homes, the seizure of civilians for use as human shields and human blood banks, the rape of ethnic Albanian women and girls, and the systematic separation and execution of military-aged men. There should be no misunderstanding.