Serbia receiving help from increasing number of countries

Serbia receiving help from increasing number of countries

The Slovenian government sent a special civil protection unit to Serbia, as well as 10 (instead of the announced 4) vehicles and a trailer, 19 experts, two big and four additional small special drainage pumps, as well as 2 aggregates, the ambassador said.

”The announced assistance will arrive on Friday and it is somewhat bigger than first announced, and a special helicopter of the Slovenian Armed Forces will arrive early on Saturday,” But said.

The Serbian government asked Slovenia for assistance on Thursday, along with the EU, and Russia, which responded as early as Friday morning when it sent a team of rescuers, and announced two more planes carrying humanitarian aid and a large-scale humanitarian operation.

Other countries have offered to help, including Montenegro, Macedonia, and Croatia.

Speaking late on Friday, PM Aleksandar Vučić thanked the governments of Russia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany.

So far, eight EU member-states - France, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Croatia - have reacted to the severe flooding in Serbia by providing help.

The EU info center in Belgrade has said that others are preparing to follow suit.

France said on Friday it would send 34 rescuers, ten motor boats and other equipment used in rescue operations.

Israel is another country that has decided to help by sending medicines, blankets, inflatable boats, and food.

Assistance

The U.S. embassy in Belgrade expressed deep sympathy with thousands of Serbian citizens hit by floods and released that it has set aside USD 100,000 worth of assistance.

"We sympathize with thousands of citizens in Serbia who had to leave their homes due to the most severe floods in the past 100 years, and we express our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives," the release states.

In keeping with the emergency situation declared by the Serbian government and as a response to the call for help issued by the Serbian Ministry of Interior, U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby ordered payment of USD 100,000 within his powers for the procurement of equipment and non-edible articles adequate for assistance to the flooded areas in Serbia, states the release.

The U.S. embassy also noted that the U.S. Office for assistance in emergency situations abroad will transfer USD 100,000 to the Red Cross of Serbia for the procurement of the necessary articles which would be used immediately for assisting the most vulnerable.