OSCE supports flood relief efforts in Serbia

BELGRADE, 19 May 2014 – In response to severe flooding affecting Serbia, and following the request of the Government, the OSCE Mission to Serbia is providing urgent assistance to deal with the impact of the floods.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier authorized a EUR 15,000 donation from the Organization's Charity Fund for immediate help to the most affected people. The assistance will be delivered through the OSCE Mission to Serbia and in co-ordination with the Red Cross.

“Our thoughts are with the victims of the floods and their families as they struggle to recover. We stand by the people of Serbia in these difficult times in the hope that international solidarity will help the country get back on its feet,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Peter Burkhard. The OSCE Mission to Serbia will continue to engage and help as the situation develops, working closely with the authorities, he added.

In addition, the Mission, supported by the Swedish Government through its development agency SIDA and in the consultations with the Interior Ministry, urgently procured water pumping equipment worth EUR 20,000.

The Swedish Government has also helped to produce a publication Family Manual for Behavior in Emergency Situations. The Manual has already been widely distributed by the authorities and civil society organizations. It is available in Albanian, Hungarian, Romani, Serbian, Slovakian and English. The publication is part of a project funded by SIDA since 2010 and implemented in co-operation with the Interior Ministry.