A MOTHER-of-two in York is working at the forefront of fundraising for the crisis in Kosovo - from the spare bedroom of her house in Strensall, York.

Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, was one of the first charities to get aid to the refugees who are pouring into the neighbouring countries of Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.

Sandra Howarth is regional fundraiser for the whole of the north-east and is co-ordinating efforts to get aid out to thousands of refugees as quickly as possible.

Sandra said: "We have always had staff in Kosovo - the national staff who made up 80 per cent of the staff are still there but the international staff have had to leave now."

Initial aid consists of mainly shelter, hygiene kits, medical kits and water.

"We are concentrating on short-term emergency care - when things calm down we will look at long-term development," she said.Unicef works in 160 countries in the world and 27 per cent of the funding goes to people affected by emergencies and conflict.

The rest goes on long-term development, education and nutrition.

"We work with communities to help them and empower them," said Sandra.

Working with a phone, fax, PC and e-mail, Sandra spends much of her time co-ordinating activities from home, combining her work with looking after sons Lloyd, eight, and Sebastian, six.

Last year, though, she got to see how the money was spent in a trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar.

"It was exhilarating seeing the work of Unicef in the field," she said.

"I know that all the pennies and all the pounds people donate can make a huge effect. I saw a well built for £140 in a school that now gives clean water to all the children and people living around there. It's simple stuff."

Unicef was set up by the United Nations as a temporary agency at the end of the Second World War - and remains a separate organisation from the UN.

It has national committees in more than 30 different countries and supports programmes in 160 countries.This week around Kosovo:

Emergency supplies from the Unicef warehouse in Tirana, Albania, have been brought to Tropolja in north-west Albania, where refugees are congregating and more supplies will be trucked in as the refugee flows increase. Supplies currently being provided include 1,500 basic hygiene kits and antibiotics. Current refugee estimates are 65,000.

In Montenegro Unicef staff are providing essential supplies in Rogaje, the main centre where refugees are arriving. The estimated number of refugees is 20,000.

In Macedonia, the permanent Unicef presence in Skopia has been increased with staff from Pristine, who are providing materials to the estimated 90,000 refugees just arrived.

Anyone who wants to donate to Unicef should sent cheques to Unicef, 54 West End, Strensall, York, YO32 5UH.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.