Renewed funding from the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR)
to IOM programmes in Serbia will allow for hundreds of internally
displaced people (IDPs) and refugees to be given much needed
assistance in a bid to find durable solutions for post-conflict
communities.

There are currently 105,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia in Serbia with another 210,000 IDPs from the Province
of Kosovo living in collective centres or in poor quality private
accommodation. Most are without proper jobs and lack of income is
impacting on their health as is the stress of moving from one place
to another in regular intervals with some families having moved
eight to 10 times in the past 15 years.

The provision of nearly 1.16 million euros will provide 300
vulnerable IDPs and refugees currently living in centres or
unsatisfactory private accommodation with homes in the next 14
months by IOM, in close cooperation with EAR, the Commissariat for
Refugees of Serbia, relevant municipalities and a local NGO,
Housing Centre.

"These homes represent not only a better roof over their heads,
but also a renewed sense of dignity among the IDPs and refugees
through property ownership and economic autonomy," said Gregoire
Goodstein, IOM's Chief of Mission in Serbia.

Additional EAR funding of 1.2 million euros will also allow IOM
to help support Serbian institutions dealing with refugee and IDP
issues to ensure effective, sustainable responses to the needs of
IDPs and refugees by establishing necessary operational structures
linking central and local governments.

This 22-month project will develop the performance skills of key
staff and develop stronger links at all levels from local needs
assessments to national strategic planning, with the aim of
boosting the capacity of the government to deliver multi-sectoral
durable solutions (including housing, employment, welfare, return
assistance) to refugees and IDPs.

For further information, please contact:

Marcel Grogan

IOM Belgrade

Tel: +381 11 324 2010/ +381 11 334 1050 or + 381 11 382 1703

E-mail: "mailto:mgrogan@iom.int">mgrogan@iom.int

or

Zivota- Vito de Luca

E-mail: "mailto:delucav@iom.int">delucav@iom.int