Randy and Rusty Ott's April 1999 
Trip to Albania and Stay 
in a Kosovar Refugee Camp

by Randy Ott

On the seventh of April 1999, only a few days after the beginning of the NATO campaign to liberate Kosovo from the Yugoslav Serbs, I along with my brother went to Albania to observe the war from close-up. The following photos and narrative captions are just a part of what we saw.  Most of what we experienced was documented on video tape.

Kosovar refugee woman doing laundry  in the Italian-run camp in Kukes, Albania Keeping a smile in spite of the  circumstances  Kosovar child gives the victory sign as he  heads over the border from Kosovo to  freedom in Albania A young man comes across the  border alone Aid being loaded for delivery to refugee  camps throughout the region This camp was being built by the German  Army, administered by the Canadian  Salvation Army and supplied by Swiss  helicopters. The tents were donated by the  people of Japan. United States Navy helicopter departs for  an unknown camp loaded with aid from all  over the world. Occasionally we were able  to catch a ride if space permitted. This barber lends a free hand to fellow  refugees in need of a haircut Randy (left) and Rusty enjoying lunch  and conversation inside the tent of a  refugee family

Everyone helps with the work Reality sets in a little bit more severe for these women who don't know where their  husbands are or even if they are alive. Most of the refugees that we saw in the  camps are coming across the border into  Albania were either very young, very old  or women. The men were either detained,  killed or feld to join the resistance army. A child too young to understand knows that  something is wrong French soldiers guard the airport in Tirana,  capital of Albania and headquarters for the  international relief effort Refugees coming across the border eat hard  blocks of cereal meant to be with hot  water. These refugees had no water,  especially hot, to mix with the cereal.  Even if they did, they could not read  the instructions in English. Most had  not eaten for days and were happy to  have whatever was provided to them. US Army soldier guards the airport  in Tirana German soldiers begin construction  of a new camp to help provide shelter to  ever increasing numbers of refugees.