FYR of Macedonia: refugee flows reflect peace uncertainties, UNHCR says

Reflecting continuing uncertainty over peace prospects, some 300 people have returned to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from Kosovo while close to 200 left the country for the province, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in Geneva that nearly 1,000 new arrivals from the FYR of Macedonia had been reported from Friday through Sunday. Coming mostly from the Skopje area, they said they had left as a precautionary measure while awaiting the outcome of negotiations.

Meanwhile, UNHCR Special Envoy Eric Morris was in the FYR of Macedonia, urging the sides to ensure humanitarian access to affected towns and villages as a first step towards aiding civilian victims and ensuring the return of refugees and displaced people.

About 62,000 refugees from the FYR of Macedonia remain in Kosovo while some 12,000 have returned to their home country, according to UNHCR.