Commissariat: Some 200,000 IDPs in Serbia a consequence of 1999 NATO aggression

BELGRADE - On the 27th anniversary of the start of the 1999 NATO aggression on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - which Serbia was a part of at the time - the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration said on Tuesday some 200,000 registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo-Metohija were one of the consequences of the aggression.

The NATO aggression represents an unprecedented event in recent history, when, contrarily to international law, a sovereign country was exposed to devastation and violence, the Commissariat noted, adding that the aggression had left deep consequences for Serbia and its people.

"In 78 days (of the aggression), infrastructure, schools, buildings, media outlets and cultural goods were destroyed, and thousands of people were wounded, while several thousand citizens - including 89 children - lost their lives. Cities and villages across Serbia were hit, which left lasting consequences for people's lives and the collective memory of our people," the Commissariat said.

It added that the consequences also included mass population movements and that a large number of people from Kosovo-Metohija had been forced to leave their homes during the NATO bombing and seek refuge in other parts of Serbia.