Today marks 27 years since the mass expulsion of Albanians from Kosovo during the 1998–1999 war, when nearly one million people were forced to flee their homes amid violence carried out by Serbian forces.
During the conflict, large numbers of civilians sought refuge in neighboring Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, while many others escaped into the mountainous regions of Kosovo in an attempt to survive. Families, including children, women, and the elderly, endured severe hardship and displacement.
The массовое displacement intensified during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, as the conflict escalated and humanitarian conditions deteriorated.
This large-scale forced migration remains one of the most painful chapters in Kosovo’s modern history. It is commemorated each year as a symbol of suffering, resilience, and solidarity.
The town of Kukës holds particular significance, as it hosted tens of thousands of Kosovar refugees during the crisis, becoming a key center of humanitarian support during one of the darkest periods of the war.
