Russian Orthodox Fund Horrified with Events in Kosovo

Since 1999, over 120 Orthodox churches have been destroyed in the region
The Russian Andrey Pervozvany Fund will develop a report for the UN, PACE and UNESCO on the critical situation in Kosovo and Metohja. President of the Fund Alexander Melnik told journalists on Tuesday that the situation is particularly critical for Serbs, the local population of the region.

After his visit to Kosovo Alexander Melnik said: "We knew that destruction of Orthodox relics was catastrophic, but did not expect it was so dangerous. We say this is genocide. We expect to draw close attention of public and political organizations, Europe's influential political and public commissions to the problem of Kosovo Serbs."
 
On January 3-8, a delegation of the Fund together with Russian journalists went to Kosovo and Metohja for a humanitarian mission. They visited densely populated Serb settlements and Orthodox relics that remained intact. Since 1999, over 120 Orthodox churches have been destroyed in the region.

The president of the Fund was deeply depressed with what he observed during the mission. He says that today Serbs live in a modern ghetto, suffer from unemployment and lack of medical care. Alexander Melnik says that Serbs can travel about the native region only being protected by KFOR and the international police.
 
Over one thousand of Serbs have been killed and over 250 thousand people have been ousted from their houses since peacemakers were introduced in Kosovo in 1999. The president of the Orthodox Fund says that today 130 thousand Serbs live in Kosovo and only 150 Serbs live in one house protected by the police in Pristina.