April 28, 1999
I've heard fresh, reliable reports of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including from Cornelio Sommaruga, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who recently visited there.
The civilian death toll is rising, as is the number of displaced. There is increasing devastation to the country's infrastructure, and huge damage to the nation's economy. For example, Mr. Sommaruga told me that the destruction of the three bridges in Novi Sad also cut off the fresh water supply to half of that city's population of 90,000 people.
Since the beginning of the conflict, we've all been consumed with the tragedy of the Kosovo Albanians. But as the conflict escalates, we see its negative impact spreading through the sub-region, claiming victims throughout the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The human cost of the violence is unacceptably high. Each day's delay in the search for a political solution means more deaths, more displacement and more destruction.
Once again, innocent civilians are paying the price for unresolved political conflict. We must be bold and imaginative in the search for a lasting political solution, which cannot be won on the battlefield.
