Hi Pat,
Well, my wife Cathy and I went to the "No Man's Land" where the Kosovo Albanian refugees are being detained, prior to processing, beside the Kosovo/Macedonia border.
It was a chilly, drizzly morning after a night of rain and the sight was humbling. My thoughts prior to going were that the pictures shown on CNN, etc captured the misery, despair, etc that these people felt ... nope. Not even close.
When we parked the car (approx 1/2 mile from the border) and started to walk towards the holding area. The first thing we came across was a convoy of buses briming with people who had been processed through into Macedonia. Most probably had been waiting for close to 5 days in the field with minimal, if any, food, shelter, or water. You don't want to stare, but having pushed aside your own emotions, you notice that these people have none either. No one is crying, few are speaking, and when you thought that they'd at least be happy to be safe and processed, no one is smiling. Obviously, not after what they'd been through.
I noticed that while watching these people, that interspersed throughout, were cameramen (video and still) trying to get that video bite or picture that best shows what's happening. Stangely, it seemed that their obvious intrusion was what should be happening, but none of the people on the buses seemed to notice their presence. I think numb, maybe shock, is the word that would best describe their state of mind.
Then the wierdest thing happened, Cathy and I became numb, emotionless. Believe it or not, that allowed us to distance ourselves from the situation at hand and take photographs. Just like the professional swarming over the buses.
After leaving the buses (we were still about 1/4 mile from the border), we progressed towards "No Man's Land". People congestion increased. So did the population of journalists, reporters, cameramen, and bystanders.
We stopped and looked from our higher vantage point to a scene occurring across a field below. There, approximately 1/2 away, along the banks of a river, was a steady stream of refugees, eyed closely by heavily armed Macedonian police, dragging whatever wood they could find back to the camp. They really looked like a line of ants forging for food.
Moving on, we came to the major checkpoint. Again armed Macedonian police were present checking the credentials of anyone wanting to enter the last staging area that would allow you to enter into "No Man's Land". <<As I type that phrase again, I realize just how truthful that statement is. None there have a past. Everything identifying them, driver's licence, passports, car plates, whatever, were taken prior to leaving Serbia.>> My friend's UNHCR and my UN passes got us nowhere. We were forced to remain in the group of spectators, to look down upon the camp from our muddy skybox.
The sight was dumbfounding. There spread out below us was a sea of broken, tired people. I would easily estimate that 40,000 lost souls were camped out in this field. They had little, if any, food and water. There was no shelter. There were no toilets. There WAS garbage and filth ... everywhere. Again, there wasn't any emotions and we found ourselves continuing to take pictures. Automatons.
It was truly a sight to have experienced. To see first hand how people have been affected by the sweeping rampage of the Serbian police and military makes you stop and make thanks for the life you've lead back in Canada and the US and how other cultures don't get the opportunity to enjoy what we take for granted daily. Humbling.
My hat goes off to those who throw themselves into the middle of these situations to get that one loaf of bread to those that need it. Their hearts truly are big. Their compassion knows no bounds.
I hope to be able to put some of my photos on my website. When I do succeed, I let everyone know.
I hope people don't think I've tried to blow what I've seen and experienced out of proportion. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
All the best from Macedonia, Rory. |
