Geróid Francisco Ó Conaire OFM visited the friars in Shkoder (Albania), Tuzi (Montenegro), and Gjakova (Kosovo), between the 8^th and 15^th of September 1999. The purpose of the visit was to assess - in consultation with the friars - the best use of the generous donations received from the General Curia’s appeal for assistance to the Kosovar refugees. Amounts received from the appeal totalled U.S. $560,000 or Italian Lire 1,025,031,209. Francisco also visited the bishop of Kosovo, Mons. Marko Sodi. During the crisis U.S. $ 162,503 or Italian Lire 293,489,934 were sent to the friars in Albania and Montenegro to help respond to the emergency. Most of it went to Albania. This is a brief summary of a report and recommendations presented to the General Definitory at the end of their September "Tempo Forte" meeting.

The numbers of Kosovar refugees remaining in Albania are insignificant. The friars along with other organisations are dealing with whatever needs arise with funds already make available during the crisis.

In co-ordination with Caritas the friars are helping 2,000 Kosovar Serb families in the Tuzi area as well as 15,000 Roma Kosovar Gypsies. Many of the Serbs are staying with relatives or renting accommodation. The Gypsies are living in a tent city set up by the UNHCR. The Gypsies are accused of collaborating with the Serbs during the crisis and are therefore targets of attack by some of the Kosovar Albanians. Like the Serbs they have left in the thousands. About 180,000 Serbs and Gypsies are refugees with only about 10% of the population now remaining in Kosovo.

The friars in co-ordination with Caritas are using a similar system of "certificates" to be exchanged for food and medicines in local stores. They spend about 18,000 DM every month. The Friars have an emergency fund for unforeseen needs with money from the General Curia fund.

There is one Franciscan fraternity in Kosovo with four friars from the Bosnia Province. All friars are originally from Kosovo. They are in Gjakova in the north- west of the country. Marjan Lorenci OFM remained in the city throughout the crisis. Serb soldiers occupied the friary, just before their barracks were totally destroyed by Nato bombs. The friary has been slightly damaged and already reconstruction work is underway. The estimated costs for repair is 200,000 DM. The friars have received financial support for the reconstruction, independent of the General Curia fund . The Parish church and old friary are uninhabitable. The church is old and in bad condition. Even before the bomb damage, it would have had to have been rebuilt. Sunday liturgies are now celebrated in the open air.

As well Gjakova, the friars also pastorally attend several villages. Six villages, mostly with Catholic families, were destroyed in varying degrees. The following table shows some rough details about the villages.

There is only one diocese in Kosovo. There are 1,300 Catholic families in the Franciscan parish, and according to the friars, it has been the most severely affected of the Dioceses.

1. Total repair of a specified number of houses.
2. Evaluate what needs to be done in two monthe time, subsequent to the big agencies making their contributions. The friars could help with further repairs or assist those in greatest need.
3. There are between 200 and 300 NGOs operating in Kosovo at the moment, as opposed to 30 remaining in Albania! Between 50,000 and 100,000 houses are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are scrambling to help refugees. Caritas International is co-ordinating many projects through its network of national Caritas programmes. Building materials are imported from Macedonia, with assistance from the German armed forces. An agreement could be negotiated with Caritas to rebuild some of the villages in the parish.
4. The Bishop has appealed for help in a Muslim area in Drenices. Many families have lost relatives and there are an estimated 260 orphans in this area. According to the Bishop little help is getting to this area. It would be an important gesture of solidarity. The local health clinic has no transport to get to the outlying villages. They need transport and he requests a vehicle for them.
5. Friar Marko Orsolic OFM of the Bosnia Province has been working in Sarajevo on projects designed to further reconciliation. He accompanied me to Montenegro in April after which we made an appeal to the Order for assistance to the refugees. He expressed interest in working on projects as soon as the crisis had passed and when people were able to return to their homes. He also visited Kosovo in September, along with a friar from Mission Central in Germany and hopes to start work there.
6. Mission Central intend to invest in the region. Projects might be elaborated in conjunction with them. An Austrian friar will supervise their projects.