June 23, 2010

23. June 2010.

COLLECTIVE CENTERS ARE CLOSED THANKS TO THE FINACIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED THROUGH THE “PEACE-BUILDING AND INCLUSIVE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT” (PBILD) PROGRAM

Owing to a joint UN “Peace-building and Inclusive Local Development” (PBILD) program, the internally displaced persons staying at the “Athens” hotel, which is the last collective center in the territory of Leskovac where 67 persons had found shelter, are going to have at their disposal three options for finding a permanent housing arrangement in Serbia. The PBILD provided from the Spanish MDG Achievement Fund three assistance packages to internally displaced persons in South Serbia’s municipalities, particularly to those in Bujanovac.

The first package, the so-called “pick-up” package, is implemented in cooperation with the Italian “Intersos” organization. The point at issue is pecuniary assistance amounting to 40,000 dinars per family member, while the overall amount doesn’t exceed 160,000 dinars per family. Since we are speaking of a one-off financial assistance, the displaced persons may receive a portion of the assistance in cash, and another portion in goods, provided they leave the collective center.

The second package is implemented in cooperation with the “Vizija” NGO, and it enables the internally displaced persons, who have no possessions outside Kosovo, to purchase a household in any rural part of Serbia. The condition is that such a household should meet the requirements enabling a dignified life (should have power and water supply) and should be legalized or in the process of legalization. The beneficiaries of this package will be provided with 620,000 dinars. A family that opts for this package will also be entitled to assistance in goods, the value of which is up to 80,000 dinars.

The third package makes it possible for the beneficiaries of collective centers, to those who started building their houses or who wish to renovate them, assistance with the building material in the amount estimated by members of the Danish Refugee Center.

The “Praksis” NGO is going to provide free legal assistance with property issues and personal documents to all those interested in any of the three aforementioned programs. “Praksis” shall provide free legal counseling to the internally displaced persons who didn’t opt for any of the offered possibilities.

All three assistance packages, which were provided through PBILD program, are at the disposal of the internally displaced persons in the Jablanica and Pcinj districts until June 2011. The PBILD office is located in Bujanovac, while all those interested in this matter may get information about it on 017/654-705.

If there aren’t enough persons from collective centers that are interested in the three packages, assistance will be provided to displaced persons staying in private accommodation.
According to the UNHCR data, there are 19,000 displaced persons in the territory of these two districts, which is ten per cent of the overall number of displaced persons in Serbia.