About the Situation
By the Numbers
More than 1,825,600 people live in Kosovo
30% of the people in Kosovo live below the poverty line
45% of the population is unemployed
(Source: U.S. government)
Years of inter-ethnic violence have severely impeded the welfare of Kosovo’s people.
Nearly 1 million people fled Kosovo when war broke out in 1996, creating what has been deemed Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War 2.
When these refugees returned, they found their homes, their schools and their livelihoods destroyed. The country had also become a literal landmine—thousands of these small bombs were scattered all around the province, making conditions extremely dangerous for everyone in the area.
The people of Kosovo continue to suffer from severe poverty, a lack of jobs and general instability.
How Islamic Relief is Helping
Islamic Relief™ has played a major role in the postwar reconstruction and rehabilitation effort in Kosovo, and has been working in the area since 1999. Islamic Relief later opened an office in the capital city of Pristina to implement and oversee long-term development projects, and has expanded its services since.
Islamic Relief continues to support development projects in Kosovo. Islamic Relief USA™ supports orphans support programs and Ramadan food distribution campaigns in the region.
Here are photographs from a recent food distribution in Kosovo.
