Balkans refugee cash drying up

Many of those who fled in terror have now returned

Refugee aid in Kosovo and Croatia may have to be halted next month because the cash is running out, the UN refugee chief warned on Wednesday.

Ruud Lubbers said that the programmes run by the UN agency, the UNHCR, would have to stop by the end of July unless donors provided an extra $4m.

Refugee crises elsewhere in the world had led to a shortfall of funding for projects in the Balkans, Mr Lubbers said, even though they had been remarkably successful.

Over the past two years, we have finally seen significantly larger numbers of people going home

Ruud Lubbers

The UNHCR says more than 150,000 people have returned to their home areas in Bosnia-Hercegovina, and a similar number have gone back to their homes in Macedonia.

Just under 100,000 ethnic Serbs have also returned to Croatia.

Mr Lubbers told a news conference in Geneva it was vital that the work continued.

"Over the past two years, we have finally seen significantly larger numbers of people going home," he said.

"They deserve our help more than ever."

Resettlement target

More than 1m people are still displaced in the region.

The Balkans operation has an overall shortfall this year of nearly $40m, and needs the emergency $4m by mid-July.

The UN believes that at the current rate of progress, most of the Balkans refugees could be back in their homes, or be permanently resettled elsewhere, by the end of next year.

That can only happen, officials say, if the money does not dry up.