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Annan Visits Refugee Camp

The thousands dealing with the pain and uncertainty of refugee life in the town of Kukes got a brief lift today from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Â"I was quite impressed by the morale and the determination of the people,Â" Annan said after touring the camp. Â"It shows the tenacity of the human spirit."

Ironically, Annan's visit came on a day of reports that the Albanian government was threatening to test that spirit, reports CBS News Correspondent Russ Mitchell. In an effort to force refugees to move to other camps, Albania has said it may have to shut off the water here, something relief workers say could be deadly.

"On a long term it's really dangerous for the health level, they're already quite on top of each other,Â" said Samantha Bolton of Doctors Without Borders.

Because of the invasion of refugees at the borders, other parts of Albania are running out of clean water. In Kukes there are 100,000 refugees. That's five times the town's population.

The Albanian government says it is also concerned about security. Kukes is just 10 miles from the Kosovo border, a possible target if Yugoslav forces ever invade. But still, refugees who have been asked to move to other camps further south have said no.

One refugee said he would like to stay as close as possible to the border, "Because we'd like to move back home as soon as possible.Â"

Secretary General Annan would not comment on the issue, but relief agencies are negotiating with government officials to keep the water on, saying a shut off would also dry up the hopes of those who feel they have no place else to go.

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