As Serb forces extend their ethnic cleansing of Albanians and NATO intensifies its bombing attack on Yugoslavia, a crisis is mounting at Kosovo's borders. Fleeing Albanians, who have bribed their way through Serb patrol stops and dodged landmines, wait hours to retreat to safety at clogged border crossings. And an international alarm has gone out as governments and relief organizations scramble to provide food and shelter for the thousands who were pushed from their homes. An additional 30,000 to 80,000 more refugees are expected to leave the country in coming days.
Refugees wait for relief workers to hand out bread.
As the fighting continues, people will continue to flee and soon they will be stretching the resources of their host countries. The overburdened regions have appealed to Italy, Greece and other neighbors to host some of the stranded Albanians. Turkey and Switzerland already have taken some. Albania has received the brunt of the exodus, with some 100,000 refugees gathered there, sleeping in residents' homes or public buildings. Officials have taken some refugees by bus or van to other less crowded parts of the country.