More New Zealand Help For Kosovo Refugees As Hercules And Medical Team Return

New Zealand is to give a further $450,000 to help refugees from Kosovo, and in two weeks time will accept the first main group of refugees into New Zealand, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley said today.

"New Zealanders' have responded with their hearts to the plight of the Kosovo refugees, so I am pleased to be announcing these further moves as our defence force team is coming home from the region," Mrs Shipley said.

"We are encouraged at the progress being made by the Group of 8 nations towards identifying a framework for a diplomatic settlement of the Kosovo issue. However, the implementation of any solution is likely to take some time and the needs of refugees will require ongoing international assistance."

The aid to the region will be delivered by two United Nations agencies. $250,000 will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to buy tents, blankets, sleeping bags and other essentials for families arriving in refugee camps in Albania and Macedonia.

A further $200,000 will go to the United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), in response to its emergency appeal for the Balkans.

"This aid will help to feed around 530,000 refugees who have arrived in Albania, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as around 120,000 displaced persons within the Federated Republic of Yugoslavia.

"New Zealand is concerned to see that the basic needs of refugees, such as food and shelter, are met," Mrs Shipley said. "New Zealand has now provided $650,000 in aid, following earlier grants of $100,000 each to the Red Cross and UNHCR, as well as the medical team working in a refugee camp, and an RNZAF Hercules helping to fly in food supplies."

A three-person New Zealand Immigration Service team leaves New Zealand tomorrow for Skopje to identify and select Kosovo refugees with family links in New Zealand, in line with the Government's decision to offer permanent places for people with relatives here.

The first group of up to 50 refugees is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Saturday 22 May. It is expected that a second group will arrive in early June.

"It will be tremendously important that we welcome these people into our communities and make them feel safe and comfortable, after everything they have been through," Mrs Shipley said.

The New Zealand Immigration Service has been talking with other Government departments and non-governmental organisations to ensure the best services are available to the refugees.

Mrs Shipley also said she planned to attend a Symphony for Kosovo concert to be held in Auckland on Friday 11 June to raise funds for the refugees.

"This is a major fundraising event which I hope the people of Auckland will support strongly. The Government is looking at ways to support this concert to maximise the funds that can be raised," Mrs Shipley said.

NOTE

Mrs Shipley will be available for a stand-up on this subject at 2pm today at the Carlton Hotel, Auckland, AFTER the completion of a business luncheon she is attending there