ALBANIA: KOSOVO REFUGEE CRISIS LATEST

(26 Apr 1999) Albanian/Nat The flood of refugees out of the Serb province of Kosovo continued on Monday, when 350 women and children reached the safety of the Albanian border. The women had been hiding in the hills since fleeing their homes in Kosovo some days ago, until they decided it was safe to follow other Kosovars to Albania. But their husbands stayed in Kosovo, too frightened to leave their hiding places. On Monday afternoon, 350 ethnic Albanian women and children joined the exodus from Kosovo. After an exhausting journey across Kosovo, the refugees finally reached safety as they crossed the Prizren-Morini frontier into Albania. The women and their families had been in hiding in the hills in Kosovo for several days since being forced out of their homes by Yugoslav forces. Finally, they decided that they should flee to Albania for the sake of their children. But their husbands did not dare to leave their hiding places - after reports that Yugoslav troops had been rounding up ethnic Albanian men and shooting them. The women wept uncontrollably at the thought of the menfolk they had left behind. UPSOUND: (Albanian) "What are we to do? What are we to do?" SUPERCAPTION: Albanian Refugee Their most urgent needs were attended to - they were given food and water and were loaded on to trucks which will take them to refugee camps. But whilst they might have reached safety, the suffering goes on for these Kosovars. They now join 350-thousand of their fellow countrymen who have sought refuge in Albania. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...