Renewed funding from the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) to IOM programmes in Serbia will allow for hundreds of internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees to be given much needed assistance in a bid to find durable solutions for post-conflict communities.

There are currently 105,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in Serbia with another 210,000 IDPs from the Province of Kosovo living in collective centres or in poor quality private accommodation. Most are without proper jobs and lack of income is impacting on their health as is the stress of moving from one place to another in regular intervals with some families having moved eight to 10 times in the past 15 years.
The provision of nearly 1.16 million euros will provide 300 vulnerable IDPs and refugees currently living in centres or unsatisfactory private accommodation with homes in the next 14 months by IOM, in close cooperation with EAR, the Commissariat for Refugees of Serbia, relevant municipalities and a local NGO, Housing Centre.

"These homes represent not only a better roof over their heads, but also a renewed sense of dignity among the IDPs and refugees through property ownership and economic autonomy," said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM's Chief of Mission in Serbia.

Additional EAR funding of 1.2 million euros will also allow IOM to help support Serbian institutions dealing with refugee and IDP issues to ensure effective, sustainable responses to the needs of IDPs and refugees by establishing necessary operational structures linking central and local governments.

This 22-month project will develop the performance skills of key staff and develop stronger links at all levels from local needs assessments to national strategic planning, with the aim of boosting the capacity of the government to deliver multi-sectoral durable solutions (including housing, employment, welfare, return assistance) to refugees and IDPs.

For further information, please contact:

Marcel Grogan
IOM Belgrade
Tel: +381 11 324 2010/ +381 11 334 1050 or + 381 11 382 1703
E-mail: mgrogan@iom.int

or

Zivota- Vito de Luca
E-mail: delucav@iom.int