The Number of Refugees in Yugoslavia is Now Around 200,000

Ljubljana, 28 August - The refugees fleeing the political and legislative instability and the armed conflicts in the crisis regions represent one of the major problems currently confronting Yugoslavia. This was stressed at today's meeting of the Federal Secretariat for Labour, Health, War Veteran Issues and Social Policy, attended also by representatives of the equivalent bodies of the republics of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Vojvodina, and of the Yugoslav Red Cross. There were no representatives from Croatia. The delegates agreed that it was most imperative at the moment to take action to provide these refugees with shelter, food and medicine. The situation is being exacerbated by the fact that pensions are being paid out irregularly and that many of the refugees have lost their jobs. It is also imperative that a permanent source of funds be established to alleviate the need of the refugees - especially in the regions where they have been given shelter, but the budget is already thin. According to unofficial data, the number of refugees has already risen to 200,000, reports the Secretariat of Information of the Federal Executive Council.