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Konic - 15 years after the war in Kosovo

Gianmarco Maraviglia

2014

After the war in Kosovo in 99 , thousands of refugees poured in Montenegro , still federated with Serbia , and that's why they still have the status of " Internally Displazed ." On the outskirts of Podgorica was created what is still the largest refugee camp in the Balkans, Camp Konic . In conditions of extreme poverty , absolute lack of hygiene and social unrest , even today, 15 years after the end of the war , in Konic thousands of people live , close to the largest landfill in the country. They are RAE, Roma , Ashkai, Egyptians from Kosovo , who survive mostly by digging into the layers of the nearby garbage dump in search of some object to resell. The refugees camp is divided into two different areas , Konic One and Konic Two , and it represents a microcosm in which they recreated the dynamics that led to the war of 1999. On the one hand the Roma from Kosovo Serbs, on the other hand , the refugees of Albanian language, separated by a kind of desolate no man's land . The tension between the two groups is likely to worsen due to the decision of the Podgorica municipality , which has prompted the evacuation of Konic Two, to make room for the landfill. Within a few months all the inhabitants of the camp will move to Konic One (the work has already started) and all will live in close contact .

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  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Bidri Shala, 46, and his wife Seluana, 42. They live in a shack with 11 children. Even if they come from the albanian part of Kosovo, the brother of Bidri has been killed by the albanian, suspected of being an informer for the serbs.

  • Konic - 15 years after the war in Kosovo

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Shabana Donai, 23, with his family. The come from Pec and are in the camp since 1999, have two kids and he spend most of his time digging in the dump searching for some objects to sell.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. In the camp the only way to survive is to digg into the dump, seraching for some object to sell.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. A sick little girl is sleeping in one of the poorest shack of Konic 1.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Interior of a wooden barrack.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. The "no man's land" between Konic 1 and Konic 2.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. In the camp most of the shacks has no water noe elettricity.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Zariani Lulzin, 44. Suffering from diabetes, he lives there with 9 children. He came from the village of Obilic, near Pristina.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Fadil, 61, from Pristina. He left Kosovo beacuse of the war, after some years in Italy he came to the camp the help the family.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Vera Outi, 20. She lives in the camp since 99 after she left the village of Gjakova, in the albanian part of Kosovo. She lives there with his husband Nasser Ibrahimi and 3 kids.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. There's nothing to do in the camp. No one has a job and they spend most of the time in their shack.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. A little sick child is sleeping in a shack with no water, in Konic 1

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. In the camp the only way to survive is to digg into the dump, seraching for some object to sell.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Building where the people from Bosnia live since 1992.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. The bakshop of the camp.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Kid in Kamp Conic 2.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. A little sick child is sleeping in a shack with no water, covered with a veil.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Toilet of the camp.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Dusamica Varagic, 40. She came from Sarajevo and lives in the camp since 1992. She was pregnant when arrived in Konic.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Dragana, 36. She come from Sarajevo. The people that left Bosnia beacuse of the war are the first who arrived in the camp and they live in some small buildings.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. In the camp the only way to survive is to digg into the dump, seraching for some object to sell.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Fana Moringi, from Istoc, lyes in the bed. She is in the camp since 1999 and she's paralyzed since 6 years. She lives in a small container with his husband Barlez and 8 kids.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. A horse in the neighbourhood of the camp.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Begani, 35. She lives with his family in the so called "German House" a block built by a german NGO to host the poorest families, but to live there they have to pay a small rent.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Col. Ramiz Pejcinovic, head of the logistic unit of the army. The unit has in custody the containers that will host the people of Konic 2 when they will move to Konic 1.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. Children playing basketball in the camp.

  • Camp Konic, Podgorica, Montenegro. In Camp Konic 2 the local Red Cross organize some classrooms for the children living in the camp.

Konic - 15 years after the war in Kosovo

Gianmarco Maraviglia

2014

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