Within the European Union program supporting recovery of floods affected areas in Serbia, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) together with co-applicant ENECA will facilitate the reconstruction of 170 individual housing objects affected by recent floods, the installation of 13 prefabricated units, the provision of 183 basic household appliances and furniture sets for the most vulnerable households, as well as the reconsolidation of 54 business activities of small and micro enterprises. The overall assistance is worth more than 1.6 million euros.

Danish Refugee Council, in close cooperation with the Office for Reconstruction and Floods Relief and the Local Self-Governments severely damaged by the recent floods (Cacak, Jagodina, Paracin, Velika Plana, Smederevska Palanka, Ub and Koceljeva) and upon successfully realized beneficiary selection process, concentrated all the efforts on realizing conditions for the commencement of rehabilitation and construction works on individual housing objects.

DRC signed the contracts with work performers on October 24, while in the last week of October, DRC professional teams, work companies and municipal technical supervisory teams visited all priority locations for rehabilitation in all the municipalities and performed all preparatory works for the work commencement.

The first rehabilitation works, as well as the delivery of construction material began on 28 – 30 Oct in the municipalities of Velika Plana, Cacak, Ub, Koceljeva and Paracin, while by 3 Nov, the rehabilitation works on damaged houses commenced in the remaining two municipalities.

In the first week of November, in the municipalities of Paracin and Jagodina construction sites were prepared, as well as construction works for prefabs were undertaken for seven out of 13 prefabs for families whose housing objects were totally demolished.

The total number of individual housing objects for reconstruction per municipalities will be 43 in Paracin, 33 in Jagodina, 25 in Koceljeva, 23 in Ub, 20 in Smederevska Palanka, 14 in Cacak and 12 in Velika Plana.

The estimated value of reconstruction works upon completed tendering procedure for a total number of 170 housing objects meant for reconstruction amounts EUR729 552.

Most of prefabricated houses will be constructed in Paracin (nine), while in Smederevska Palanka there will be three and in Jagodina one, with the estimated value of this type of works amounts EUR238.875.

The estimated deadline for the duration of recovery works is 45 days, while the first prefabricated objects are expected to be built by the end of Nov 2014, upon which the provision of basic furniture and home appliances packages will be launched. The planned value assistance in basic furniture and home appliances is approximately EUR 404.800.

In parallel to the ongoing process of rehabilitation and construction of individual housing units, the beneficiary selection process of micro and small businesses has been finalised. These entrepreneurships will be assisted with necessary equipment, rehabilitation of facilities, as well as process material for renewing the businesses.

The total number of economic grants per municipaliteis will be 24 in Paracin, 20 in Ub, four in Koceljeva, three in Smederevska Palanka, two in Velika Plana and one in Cacak.

There is the ongoing preparation of tendering procedure for the most quality suppliers of equipment and process material. The tender will be launched in the first half of November.

The first delivery of equipment is expected in the first half of Dec 2014, when the first deliveries of process material will be realised as necessary for restoring the full scope of economic activity. The facility rehabilitation works have commenced in early November. The total planned value of the economic restoration project activity is approximately EUR351.000.

Each activity will be implemented in line with the adopted Implementation Methodology, with specific emphasis on rapid response to the needs, level of vulnerability of affected families, as well as on the impact of the assistance to the respective local communities.