In other cases, African refugees get only a plastic sheet to cover a homemade shelter. Another major difference between refugee facilities in Africa and those in Europe is in the type of food supplied. World Food Program officials say both European and African refugees are getting about 2,100 calories a day of food rations. But for the Kosovo Albanians, those calories come in the form of tins of chicken pate, foil-wrapped cheeses, fresh oranges and milk. In some ready-made meals, there is even coffee and fruit tarts.
Water is plentiful in most of the camps in the Balkans.
At one camp in Macedonia, German officials have even installed a fully functioning sewage treatment system. Instead of meals, the refugees are given basic grains such as sorghum or wheat. They are not malnourished. Beyond such basics as shelter and food, the differences become even more stark. The camps in the Balkans have mobile phones that refugees can use.