[kcc-news] HELP KOSOVA! KOSOVA HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATION (KHAO) (fwd)

[Mentor Cana]

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			PRESS RELEASE

		KOSOVA HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATION
			http://www.khao.org/
			Phone:   (714) 892-7283

			FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            Assistance Critically Needed to Aid Ill Kosovars

March 28, 1999 --- Imagine a world where people suffering from brain
tumors, cancer, heart problems, leukemia, and other serious illnesses
remain uncared for and untreated.  Children wither from strange
deficiencies and physical ailments brought on by psychological trauma.
For the Albanian men, women, and children of Kosova, this world is a
frightening reality. The Kosova Humanitarian Aid Organization (KHAO) is
calling on all who are willing and able to help alleviate this suffering
during these desperate times for the people of Kosova. KHAO is currently
organizing an airlift in late March/ early April of fifteen to twenty
seriously ill Kosovars, mostly children, to the United States for
desperately needed medical treatment unavailable in Kosova or Albania.
The conditions these Kosovars are suffering from include brain tumors,
bone tumors, liver cancer, leukemia, heart problems, kidney dysfunction,
breast cancer, unexplained deficiencies accompanied by loss of weight
and muscle mass, and psychological trauma from Serb onslaught of
villages and homes. The group's ages range from 2 years to the mid-50s.

Though KHAO has received a committed donation for the airfare, visa
applications and the tax to leave Albania, funds to cover the housing
and food expenses for this group (including escorts) are desperately
needed.   Individuals, groups or clubs could agree to support one family
for a period of time. The need for Albanian-speaking volunteers is also
critical to provide translation and interpretation services.

The planned airlift will be a replica of one that took place in November
1998, in which twenty-four Kosova refugees and Albanian nationals were
flown to the United States for medical treatment.  The lift included
children requiring major open heart and brain surgery that would save
their lives. Members of this group received the needed surgeries, food
and housing as charity.  The operations were a huge success and they are
finally returning to a normal life.

With enough support, KHAO can achieve an even greater success with the
March airlift. It is their goal to bring the entire group of ill
Albanians to the United States for treatment. For many of the above,
they are not sure that they will last past another month.  Before help
was offered, these Albanians had lost all hope in getting cured and were
ready to go back home to die.

KHAO was founded last year in Southern California to aid the suffering
Albanians of Kosova during their ongoing struggle under Serbian
domination.  KHAO believes that we are witnessing another holocaust,
despite modern times.  Terrible crimes of mass killings, rapes and
torture of women, children and the elderly are currently taking place in
Kosova.

Among other projects, KHAO is coordinating efforts with the University
of Missouri to initiate a program to help psychologically traumatized
Albanians.  This program would include deploying professionals in this
field to Albania and Kosova (if safety permits) to train others in
handling these cases so healing can begin.  The contact at the
university was very successful with a similar program in Bosnia.

KHAO has also started a clinic in Tirana to serve Albanian Kosovar women
and children, which will be funded by donations generated from
fund-raising efforts with others around the world.  The clinic will also
serve as a learning center for the Kosovar children. A supply of fifteen
computers has been committed to their efforts.  The children will have a
schedule in which access to these computers will be administered. The
technology also will help the clinic communicate efficiently with other
medical facilities inside Kosova, Albania, neighboring countries and
their main offices in California.

To compliment these efforts, they are working on a program for new and
young mothers.  A supply of breast pumps and other essentials have been
provided by Medela, Inc., a leading breast feeding supply company. A
training program is currently being organized, which will help to teach
the mothers how to best feed their infants and allow them to have
reserves needed for their survival during this difficult time when most
are living in cold and dangerous mountains.

Thousands of refugees are fleeing from Kosova to the neighboring
countries of Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia with barely more than the
clothes on their backs.  They survive off the generosity of others.  A
mass food drive of flour, wheat, rice, beans, lentils, pastas, canned
goods, sugar, and oil is crucial.

Additionally, KHAO is preparing a shipment of clothes, medical supplies
(including surgical supplies) and children's necessities.  They
anticipate shipping the supplies by the end of March or early April.
This type of shipment was successfully delivered in December 1998.

They are asking anyone with the capability to help in any way, to
contact them. Their continuing effort to assist the Kosovars during this
crisis critically relies on this support.  KHAO would appreciate if
those with knowledge or contacts that could help to find treatment for
the medical cases mentioned above, would contact them immediately. Time
is of a critical essence to save their lives.

Kosova Humanitarian Aid Organization ( http://www.khao.org )

Main Office:
E-mail:  kosova at jps.net
P.O. Box 37, Midway City, California  92655-9998 - USA
Phone:   (714) 892-7283
Fax: (714) 898-0740


Texas Office:
Phone: (915) 643-3063


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