IFRC launches emergency appeal to assist refugees in Serbia

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched 2.04 million dollars emergency appeal to support refugees travelling through Serbia.

Vesna Milenovic, Secretary General of the Red Cross of Serbia, said on Friday in Geneva that the appeal would provide assistance to 20,580 children and 294,000 adults, totaling 314,580, along their journey from border to border, and throughout the country over the next seven months.

He said funds from the emergency appeal would ensure that the societies were able to continue their services to those in greatest need, as they enter the country and travel to their next destination.

Milenovic said as many as 100,000 people had arrived in Serbia since the end of June, marking a sharp increase in arrivals from neighboring former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria.

“Up to 3,000 people now cross the border each day with the goal of reaching countries further north in the European Union.

Mette Petersen, IFRC Head of Country Cluster, added that the IFRC emergency appeal would also enable the Red Cross of Serbia to focus its activities.

He said the IFCR would focus mostly on food and cash voucher distribution, providing first aid, hygiene promotion in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Petersen said it would also assist the society on its exercise to reconnect separated family members.

He said the society was also making additional provisions in case the humanitarian situation escalates.

He said the emergency appeal might be revised accordingly to enable the society respond adequately to the critical and growing humanitarian needs of the migratory population in a situation which is continuously changing.