19 images Created 26 Oct 2009
Widows of War
The province of Gjacova in Kosovo is one of the most affected by the recent war in the Balkans. It is known for the war starting and ending in this region causing the majority of civilians killings in Kosovo. In some villages, like Meje there are no men left but their widows and children.
The fate of these women is uncertain as international charity organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans. The re-construction process has halted leaving most homes half built and unsuitable to be inhabited. The widows and their children have had to seek shelter with relatives, whilst those that couldn't, live in very devastating conditions.
The fate of these women is uncertain as international charity organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans. The re-construction process has halted leaving most homes half built and unsuitable to be inhabited. The widows and their children have had to seek shelter with relatives, whilst those that couldn't, live in very devastating conditions.
![The Meja massacre was the mass execution of at least 377 Kosovo Albanian civilians of whom 36 were under 18 years old. It was committed by Serbian police and Yugoslav Army forces in the Reka Operation which began after the killing of six Serbian policemen by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The executions occurred on 27 April 1999 in the village of Meja near the town of Gjakova, during the Kosovo War. The victims were pulled from refugee convoys at a checkpoint in Meja and their families were ordered to proceed to Albania. Men and boys were separated and then executed by the road.[2][3] It is one of the largest massacres in the Kosovo War.[4] Many of the bodies of the victims were found in the Batajnica mass graves. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has convicted several Serbian army and police officers for their involvement.](https://www.cinziadambrosi.com/img-get2/I0000ebboMzYgxNM/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000rn_Wng3iLCg/I0000ebboMzYgxNM.jpg)