A team from the UN Environment Programme and Habitat, the UN settlements agency, will visit Yugoslavia shortly to evaluate war damage to the environment, the agencies yesterday.
The mission, to be headed by former Finnish environment and development co-operation minister Mr Pekka Haavisto, will visit Kosovo, other parts of Serbia, and Montenegro, a statement said.
"Given the gravity of potential environmental consequences of the conflict and NATO bombing in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and their regional ramifications, a more detailed assessment of the full extent of the environmental impact is urgently needed," Mr Klaus Toepfer, executive director of both agencies, said.
The mission will "look at the direct environmental and human settlements impacts of the conflict in the Balkans and to the wider consequences to countries of the region, including Bulgaria and Romania," the statement said.
The initial UN mission to the region found that damage to oil refineries, fuel dumps and chemical and fertiliser factories, as well as toxic smoke from huge fires and leakage of harmful chemicals into the soil and the water table, had contributed to as yet unassessed pollution.
"Many of the compounds released in these chemical accidents can cause cancer, miscarriages and birth defects," the statement said. "Others are associated with fatal nerve and liver diseases."
Humanitarian workers have started bringing in aid to the western Kosovo town of Pec, braving Serb paramilitaries whom they said were still roaming near the devastated town.
Mercy Corps International yesterday brought in 11 trucks carrying flour, oil, sardines and sugar for an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 ethnic Albanians who are expected to return soon to the town.