Unity to remain at all times: OSCE Mission commemorates 50th anniversary of the Skopje earthquake

SKOPJE, 26 July 2013 – Only twenty seconds altered the future of the city: On this day in 1963, Skopje was hit by a massive earthquake, killing more than a thousand people and destroying or damaging eighty percent of all buildings. Today, as the OSCE Mission to Skopje commemorates the 50th anniversary of the disaster, the Acting Head of Mission, Ambassador Marianne Berecz, stressed that the solidarity demonstrated at that difficult time should serve as an inspiration for the future.

“Today it is hard to imagine what Skopje looked like after that devastation. However, despite tragic losses in many families and abhorrent living conditions, citizens quickly started to rebuild their lives,” she said. “The city has made an amazing comeback, turning into a lively and dynamic capital.”

A quick international relief effort offered by 87 countries in the form of money, supplies and human resources helped bring Skopje back from the ruins. The city also became known as the “City of International Solidarity”. “It is a reminder how human compassion and collective effort can make a huge difference,” Ambassador Berecz pointed out.

“Today we also commemorate the outstanding unity of all citizens on that fateful day. Survivors still remember that after a short initial panic everyone helped friends, neighbors and strangers in need without hesitation. This unity, this shared sense of purpose that brought people together, must remain with us at all times.”