October 21, 2009
Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

United States Funds New Permanent Housing for Refugees and Local Vulnerable Families in Petrovac

On Friday, October 23, U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Troy Pederson will attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a newly constructed apartment building for 20 families in Petrovac, funded by the American people. The U.S. government contributed $700,000 (approximately 400,000 Euros) to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the construction and furnishing of the apartments. The Petrovac municipality donated the land, infrastructure and permits. Sixteen refugee families and four local vulnerable families will receive the keys to their apartments at this event.

This apartment building is part of “Social Housing in a Safe Environment” (SHSE), a partnership project between the Serbian Government, UNHCR, local NGO Housing Center, donors, and municipalities to provide permanent housing to the most vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons, many of whom are still living in collective centers 10-15 years after they fled their homes due to conflicts. Local families in need of social support are also beneficiaries of this program. More than 400 families in over 20 municipalities throughout Serbia have benefited from SHSE. The opening of this building will help the Commissariat for Refugees in meeting its goal of closing collective centers throughout Serbia. The Kasarna Collective Center in Petrovac, open since 1995, will close after the residents move into their new accommodations.

SHSE is one of many programs the U.S. government supports to help regional governments secure durable solutions for the vulnerable displaced populations within their borders. Over the past year, the U.S. government, through the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), provided $7.7 million in general budget support for UNHCR's regional activities and $1.7 million to support UNHCR’s assistance with the protracted refugee situations. PRM provided $10.8 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC.) PRM also funded another $2.2 million in assistance through international NGOs and international organizations for programs and initiatives that assisted refugees, IDPs, and returnees in the former Yugoslavia.

Media representatives interested in covering this event should be at Krajiska 11a and 11 b, on Friday, October 23, 2009, at 12:45.

For more information on PRM projects and the assistance the American people are providing to displaced populations in Serbia and the region, please contact Anne Marie Moore at +381 11 306 48 11 or mooream@state.gov.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Troy Pederson handing keys of new apartments

V.d. zamenika šefa misije Troj Pederson predaje ključeve novih stanova

21. oktobar, 2009
Ambasada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država
Beograd

Sjedinjene Države obezbedile trajni smeštaj za izbegla i socijalno ugrožena lica u Petrovcu

U petak 23. oktobra v.d. zamenika šefa misije Troj Pederson će prisustvovati svečanosti otvaranja novoizgrađene stambene zgrade finansirane od strane američkog naroda za 20 porodica iz Petrovca. Vlada SAD priložila je 700,000 dolara (oko 400,000 evra) Visokom komesarijatu UN za izbeglice (UNHCR) za izgradnju i opremanje stanova. Opština Petrovac obezbedila je zemljište, infrastrukturu i dozvole. Šesnaest izbeglih porodica i četiri domicilne socijalno ugrožene porodice dobiće ključeve stanova tokom ove svečanosti.

Stambena zgrada je je deo partnerskog projekta “Socijalno stanovanje u zaštićenim uslovima“ (SHSE) u kojem učestvuju vlada Srbije, UNHCR, lokalna NVO Housing Center, donatori, i opštine u cilju obezbeđivanja trajnog stambenog smeštaja za najugroženija izbegla i interno raseljena lica od kojih mnogi žive u kolektivnim centrima već 10-15 godina nakon napuštanja svojih domova tokom proteklih sukoba. Lokalno socijalno ugroženo stanovništvo je takođe uključeno u ovaj projekat. Više od 400 porodica u preko 20 opština širom Srbije uključeno je u SHSE program. Otvaranje ove zgrade predstavlja podršku Komesarijatu za izbeglice u procesu zatvaranja kolektivnih centara u Srbiji. Kolektivni centar Kasarna u Petrovcu koji je otvoren 1995. biće zatvoren nakon selidbe korisnika u nove domove.

SHSE je jedan od mnogih programa kojke vlada SAD podržava kako bi se vladama u regionu pomoglo da obezbede trajna rešenja u okviru svojih granica za socijalno ugroženu izbegličku populaciju. Tokom prošle godine, američka vlada je preko Kancelarije Stejt dipartmenta za stanovništvo, izbeglice i migracije (PRM) obezbedila 7,7 miliona dolara za budžetsku podršku regionalnih aktivnosti UNHCR-a i 1,7 miliona dolara za podršku UNHCR projekata za rešavanje dugotrajnih izbegličkih statusa. PRM je obezbedio i 10,8 miliona dolara za Međunarodni komitet Crvenog krsta (MKCK). PRM je sa 2,2 miliona dolara podržao inicijative međunarodnih organizacija i NVO za programe pomoći izbeglicama, interno raseljenim licima, i povratnicima na prostoru bivše Jugoslavije.

Prestavnici medija koji žele da izveštavaju o ovom događaju treba da budu u petak, 23. oktobra u Petrovcu, Krajiška 11a i 11b u 12:45 časova.

Dodatne informacije o PRM projektima i programu pomoći američkog naroda raseljenoj populaciji u Srbiji i regionu možete dobiti od Anne Marie Moore na tel +381 11 306 48 11 ili preko emaila mooream@state.gov

back to top ^