The European Union has allocated some EUR 11.1 million for flood relief in Obrenovac through its IPA 2012 and IPA 2014 programmes and the European Solidarity Fund, which makes it the biggest single donor for the post-flood recovery in that town, said the participants in the event showcasing the results of projects implemented in the framework of said funds.
“We can see the tremendous EU assistance at every corner. This is the result of the synergy created by all levels of government working in concert – the Public Investment Management Office, donors and organisations. Once the flood subsided, we feared that Obrenovac would be left with nothing but empty houses, but we are very happy to see that we have managed to revive and even modernise our town thanks to donors,” Miroslav Cuckovic, the President of the Municipality of Obrenovac, said.
Through the European Union Assistance for Flood Relief Programme, 1.331 residential buildings have been reconstructed, 41 homes have been constructed and furnished, whereas 371 flood-affected companies and 2.416 agricultural holdings have received support.
“Thanks to the EU donation and the hard field work carried out by several organisations, four thousand residents of Obrenovac are now living in new or reconstructed homes. Furthermore, the assistance helped to create normal studying and working conditions for over five thousand pupils, teachers and other school personnel. We worked hard not only to repair the damage caused by the floods, but also to improve the lives of flood-affected citizens,” said Maja Vuckovic Krcmar of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia.
Also, the European Union is funding flood-prevention projects in Obrenovac, including the rehabilitation of over 64km of drainage channels, purchase of three brand new and servicing of six water pumps, as well as servicing of six pumping stations.
“I can now say with certainty that the Programme was a success given the circumstances. Above all, we should thank the donor for making the Programme a success, but we should not forget any other organisation involved. Our primary focus now is on prevention and implementation of projects aimed at preventing the damage from natural disasters in the future, for which we have secured EUR70 million,” said Marko Blagojevic, the Director of the Public Investment Management Office.
The European Union Assistance for Flood Relief in Serbia Programme is implemented by seven partner organisations – the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), organisations Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe (Help), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the World Bank.
