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• The Environmental News Service (ENS) reported that Helicopters from the Kosovo International Peace Implementation Force (KFOR) have ejected unknown waste during the past week into two lakes of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

• The official opening of the 1999/2000 school year in Kosovo will be 1 November, but up to 250,000 children were expected to be attending catch-up classes last week, to make up for schooling missed during the mass evacuation from the province last spring. The agency reported that classes are being held in a variety of locations -- some in repaired or nearly repaired school buildings, some in other structures and some simply outdoors, where moderate weather still prevails. (UNICEF, 2 September 1999)

• In Kosovo the ICRC's well-cleaning teams cleaned and disinfected 480 wells in August, improving access to safe drinking water for over 27'792 beneficiaries. Emergency and ad hoc assistance were provided where necessary. (ICRC, 1 September 1999)

• Preparations are being made by ICRC for the water quality control assistance programme to include the eight reference public health centres in FRY. This programme will involve laboratory equipment, glassware, disposable material and training. (ICRC, 1 September 1999)

• UNICEF continues to support education, health, mine awareness-raising and psychosocial activities in Kosovo, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

• A team of five BTF scientists, experts in the field of biodiversity and forestry, is now in FRY to assess the damage to biological diversity in protected areas in the region. Planned locations to be visited include Fruska Gora national park near Novi Sad, Kopaonik national park, Zlatibor, and Lake Skadar in Montenegro. Approximately 4% of Yugoslavia is classified as a nature protected area, in the form of national parks, Ramsar (the Wetlands Convention) or World Heritage sites. It has been reported that the conflict may have had a direct impact on the plant and animal populations in these areas with possible negative consequences for the region’s biological diversity. The BTF scientists will gather relevant information on the pre-conflict status of these areas and also visit selected sites in order to collect data and assess first-hand the current situation.

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