Wednesday 26th of January 2011 – The deputy to the Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Svetlana Velimirovic, during the press conference organized on behalf of the “Ana and Vlade Divac,” Fund (HOD) made reference to the activities and results which have been achieved over the course of 2010.

“The Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, has over the course of 2010, invested considerable effort as well as all of its available resources in order to ensure that refugee and internally displaced persons who after 19 years since the commencement of hostilities are still in need of assistance, are facilitated with the means for their achievement of a dignified existence,” stated the deputy to the Commissioner. Mrs. Velimirovic also added that over the course of the past year, particular attention had been paid to the process of providing sustainable solutions to those currently being housed within collective centres.  “Over the course of 2010, we have closed 8 collective centres and have managed to provide assistance for the resolution of the housing concerns of some 835 persons who have since left the aforementioned centres; an achievement we regard as being significant seeing as those housed within collective centres represent the most vulnerable category of refugee and internally displaced persons who in the absence of a clearly conceptualized means of support are unable to solve their housing concerns. Those persons in need who currently reside within some form of private accommodation were assisted through the payment of some 2,500 packages of one time economic assistance intended for the acquisition of medication or heating; we distributed 12,700 packages of food in addition to providing those currently utilizing the services of 24 collective centres with packages of clothing valued at a total of 17 million dinars.”

Mrs. Velimirovic used the aforementioned opportunity to refer to the cooperation which exists on the central and the local levels oriented towards resolving the concerns of refugee and internally displaced persons stating that the commitment of local governments is itself best demonstrated by the fact that 102 municipalities and cities within the Republic of Serbia have adopted local action plans, that the development of a further 40 LAP-s is currently in progress and also that all municipalities and cities within the Republic of Serbia, to the extent of their capabilities, are engaged in providing the means for the improvement of the status of refugee and internally displaced persons located on their territories. 

“The Commissariat for Refugees has supported the efforts of local governments with 4.1 million euros which it has set aside out of its budgetary resources which in turn have been instrumental in the acquisition of 1,040 packages of building materials and the donation of 640 packages intended for the economic strengthening of families,” stated Mrs. Svetlana Velimirovic.
“We would seek to emphasise the fact that over the past two years the Republic of Serbia, with the cooperation of the international community, more precisely the European Union, the government of the USA and the Federal Republic of Germany, has managed to provide assistance to some 3,239 families as concerns the resolution of their housing concerns and also has provided for the economic strengthening of a further 2,325 families,” stated Mrs. Svetlana Velimirovic.

The deputy to the Commissioner, used this opportunity to thank the Fund of “Ana and Vlade Divac,” for their cooperation and dedication to the resolution of the problems of refugee and internally displaced persons, adding that it is only through the commitment of all the relevant stakeholders – The Republic of Serbia, the international community, non governmental organizations and local governments, that the problems facing refugee and internally displaced persons might come to be resolved.