MENTAL HEALTH OF REFUGEES-ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION AND TRUST
The Representative of the UN Refugee Agency, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, 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.
Krnjaca Asylum Centre, that was once the largest collective centre in Belgrade housing refugees from former Yugoslavia and internally displaced persons, today shelters some 1250 persons in need of international protection, including over 400 children.
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: “This site has seen momentous changes: Now that better housing solutions were found for all refugees and IDPs from the region who lived here, Krnjaca can house more refugees from the current refugee crisis.” Thanking the Department for International Development (DfID) of the United Kingdom, which funded the rehabilitation works and has provided generous contributions to UNHCR’s help to Serbia’s response to the refugee, all involved authorities and partners, Schodder added that following the recent opening of the UNHCR-funded new medical station in Krnjaca, these two new barracks point the way to further support by UNHCR to Serbia to increase and improve its accommodation for refugees.”
Participants greeted the good news from the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration that there is no imminent funding shortfall for food for all refugees and migrants this winter in Serbia and suggested that the police should visit Krnjaca to register and thus provide with a legal status all those residents, who have not yet been registered.
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 Krjanca. “Activities in Krnjaca reflect the good collective efforts of authorities, UN and international agencies, NGOs and donors to address the refugee situation in Serbia which has been going on for the past 18 months with no end in sight.” Mr. Healey encouraged everyone to continue collaborating closely so that the current tenants of Krnjaca may in the future also celebrate New Year in their own homes, just as the refugees and IDPs who lived in the centre in the past will this year.
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.
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