Temerin, April 27th 2010 - Association Samaritan Workers (ASB), in cooperation with the municipality of Backa Palanka, Temecula and Tower and the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, implemented the project, ˝Support to refugees and internally displaced persons in Serbia,˝ funded by the European Union through the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, an instrument for pre-accession assistance, complying with the National Strategy addressing the issue of refugees and internally displaced persons, contributing to the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia to the improvement of the living conditions and solving the housing problems of refugees and internally displaced persons.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was held on Tuesday the 27th April 2010 on the premises of Temerin, at 11:00 a.m. At the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding among others were present, the presidents of these municipalities, the ASB and the Assistant Commissioner for Refugees, Ivan Gerginov.

In Kula, Backa Palanka and Temerin, the goals laid out were the following.

1. The distribution of packages of building materials intended for the families of refugees and displaced persons, supporting the completion of buildings and adaptations of inadequate living space already underway.
Kula: 15 packages; Backa Palanka: 8 packages; Temerin: 8 packages
 The value of each individual package unit is up to 4,000 euros

2. The awarding of grants for the creation and promotion of their own undertakings.
Kula: 10 packages; Backa Palanka: 10 packages; Temerin: 10 packages
 Each individual grant is valued at 1,200 euros

The recipients of this form of assistance will be selected, in accordance with the conditions and criteria adopted by the Commission which will be composed of representatives from the City, the Commissariat for Refugees, the ASB and the UNHCR. The recipients selected will enter into contracts with ASB concerning the proposed use of the above mentioned packages of building materials and grants for the creation and promotion of their own affairs and undertakings.

To recapitulate: The Republic of Serbia, after eighteen years of dealing with the question of refugees, there are still 86,000 refugees and 210,000 internally displaced persons from Kosovo.  Ten percent of the total population of Serbia was not living within the country’s boundaries prior to the outbreak of hostilities within the former Yugoslavia.  The Republic of Serbia is first on the list of European countries in terms of the number of refugees and internally displaced persons within her borders and one of the five countries in the world experiencing a prolonged refugee situation.

Since in the municipalities of Temerin, Backa Palanka and Kula, there are still approximately 3,000 refugees and internally displaced persons alongside a number of former refugees, the Commissariat for Refugees in cooperation with the EU Delegation in Serbia and in association with its implementing partner, the ASB, is determined that the components of the stated projects be realized within the territory of these municipalities.