Renovation of two more barracks in the Asylum center of Krnjaca

Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, the Representative of the UN Refugee Agency, Regional Refugee Coordinator of the USA, Programme Manager of the Catholic Relief Services as well as representatives of the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation today opened two newly renovated barracks for refugees in the Asylum Centre of Krnjaca.

Danijela Popovic-Rocco, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration noted that “In response to the large number of children here, we have provided another children’s corner together with our donor – the US Julia Tufft’s Fund. We have also rehabilitated two new barracks to accommodate 58 persons each with the help of UNHCR and DfiD. We are thankful to all the donors who recognized the need to improve the accommodation capacities in Krnjaca, and who are responding to the needs of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia”.

Hans Schodder, the UNHCR Representative said he was impressed with the good work done by CRS and the Fund Ana i Vlade Divac in renovating and greatly upgrading the barracks.

Sam Healey, Regional Refugee Coordinator, Bureau for Populations, Refugees and Migration (US BPRM) thanked the Asylum Protection Centre (APC/CZA) for the good implementation of one of the three planned children’s corners in Serbia, one in Krnjaca.

Programme Manager Dino Mujanovic recalled that CRS has been supporting the integration of refugees and IDPs since 1996 with US funds. Thanks to different donors, CRS has now extended their response to the current refugee crisis, including the UNHCR- and DfiD-funded renovation of the two barracks to house some 120 refugees. CRS and Fund Ana i Vlade Divac rehabilitated six barracks in Krnjaca this year and plan to continue until all of them are renovated. He stressed the importance of cooperation of all the stakeholders to the benefit of the refugees currently sheltered in Krnjaca.