塞爾維亞一個內陸省份科索沃的人民，仍受到6年前科索沃（Kosovo）與塞爾維亞裔(Serbs) 內戰的影響。這些流離失所的民眾，在內戰期間曾居住於受鉛毒污染的營區裡而遭到感染，而聯合國駐科索沃大使呼籲各界提供醫療援助。
1日就任的聯合國秘書長駐科索沃特別代表魯克（Joachim Rucker）說：「世界衛生組織現在已可進行醫療，而國內難民以移至更安全的聯合國營地。」魯克同時也是聯合國駐科索沃臨時行政當局首長。
在今年初，將近600名來自羅姆（或稱吉普賽人）、阿希卡利人和埃及的國內難民，自被鉛污染的Cesmin Lug、Zitkovc、Kablar營地遷移至奧斯特羅德（Osterode）營地。Zitkovc、Kablar現已關閉，但還有148人仍留在Cesmin Lug。「對這些國內難民的生活而言，這是個痛苦的時期。這些人被留在極度不衛生和有害的生活環境中而不自知，」魯克說，他說服那些留在Cesmin Lug的人能盡快遷至奧斯特羅德。
衛生專家表示，孩童特別容易受到鉛污染的傷害。當羅姆人遷入後不久，聯合國了解到他們都生活在受感染的土地上，根據聯合國及世衛組織2000年的報告，建議他們立即撤離。
大多數的國內難民是由羅姆馬哈拉（Roma Mahala）遷移而來，該地在1999年於衝突中被摧毀，當時南斯拉夫軍隊枉顧人權，在塞爾維亞人、阿爾巴尼亞人和其他種族之間興起作戰。當北大西洋公約組織部隊驅離南斯拉夫軍隊之後，聯合國安全理事會創立UNMIK，以協助管理該區。
在Mitrovicë，主要鉛污染源是來自於1927年開挖的特雷皮卡（Trepca）礦場，而鄰近Zvecan的冶煉廠於1939年開工。雖然冶煉廠在2000年關閉，以減少鉛污染所造成的健康危害。但是鉛並不會隨著時間而分解，它會在土壤、水、灰塵和食物中長存。因風吹走礦渣場上的灰塵和土壤，使得Zvecan及附近地區持續有被鉛污染的塵土落下。
「我們針對2歲到3歲的孩童做監測，因為他們是在鉛污染主要來源地Mitrovica的冶煉廠關閉後出生的。只要危機結束，如人們所預期的，這些孩童的血液就不會顯示有鉛含量了，」聯合國志工克林索娃如此說明。
The senior United Nations envoy in Kosovo has welcomed the start of medical treatment to help internally displaced persons suffering from lead poisoning as a result of living in contaminated camps in the northern part of the disputed province. Kosovo, a land-locked province of Serbia, still bears the scars of the civil war between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians six years ago.
In his first day on the job, Joachim Rucker, the UN secretary-general's new special representative in Kosovo and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, said today that the World Health Organization has been able to begin medical treatment now that internally displaced persons have transferred to a safer camp run by the United Nations.
Almost 600 internally displaced persons from the Roma or Gypsy, Ashkali and Egyptian communities have moved since the start of the year to Camp Osterode from the camps contaminated with lead in Cesmin Lug/Llugë, Žitkovac/Zitkovc, and Kablare/Kablar. The latter two camps have now been closed. Some 148 people still remain in Cesmin Lug/Llugë. "This has been a painful chapter in the lives of the IDPs concerned, whom circumstances connived to keep in extremely unhygienic and adverse living conditions in the camps," Rucker said, urging those people remaining in Cesmin Lug/Llugë to move to Osterode as soon as possible.
Health experts say children are particularly vulnerable to lead pollution. Soon after the Roma moved in, the UN realized that they were living on contaminated land. Reports by the UN mission and the WHO dating to 2000 recommended their immediate removal.
Most of the IDPs have been displaced from the Roma Mahala that was destroyed during the conflict in 1999, when NATO forces drove out Yugoslav troops amid human rights abuses in fighting between Serbs, Albanians and other ethnic communities. UNMIK was then created by the UN Security Council to administer the province
The major source of lead pollution in Mitrovicë/a is the Trepca Mine, built in 1927. The smelter close to Zvecan opened in 1939. In 2000 the smelter was closed to reduce health risks caused by the lead pollution. But lead does not decompose over time, it remains in the soil, water, dust and food. The tailing dams constantly supply fresh dust and soil contaminated with lead, which is carried by the wind to Mitrovicë/a, Zvecan and the surrounding areas.
"We focus on children between 24 and 36 months old because they were born after the closing down of Trepca smelter, the major source of lead pollution in Mitrovica. If the danger is over, as people like to think, these kids would not show any significant blood lead levels," UN volunteers Hana Klimesova explain.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
