People can directly see and feel the impacts of the refugee crisis, and respond accordingly, aid workers say. This is the middle of Europe. This is not so foreign. Still, many wonder whether such distinctions are valid. While some extras are just that, shelter, food and water should be the same everywhere, they say.
People are people all over the world.
Ross, a CARE worker who came to the Balkans from Sierra Leone, said race plays a big role. It's easier for Europeans and Americans to identify with the Kosovo refugees they see on television than with those in remote parts of Africa, he said. In Macedonia alone, there are more than 1,000 reporters, according to government figures. The steady television presence attracts scores of charities, for which the media visibility is free advertising to raise money. As a result, eight to 10 charities labor in some camps, dividing the work of running the facilities into highly specialized areas.