Obrenovac, August 27- In Obrenovac, the neediest families have received a pre-loaded gift card for $330 issued by UniCredit Bank and intended for the reconstruction of their households. The gift cards may be used without any conditions – the recipients determine their needs and priorities - at ATMs or anywhere that accepts Mastercard debit cards. Though the gift card may not cover all of their needs, it will certainly help jumpstart the recovery process.

A total of 1.200 households in Serbia will receive the RSD equivalent of $330 to put towards establishing one dry room in the house, restoring some basic household items, renting temporary accommodation, supporting host families, or testing well water to restore their drinking water. Another 340 households will receive grants of either $750 or $1500 to restart their livelihoods (this includes small farmers and non-farming microbusinesses).

The program targets the most vulnerable households - families with more than five members, disabled family members, elderly, conflict refugees or internally displaced persons, or those with low incomes (up to 125% of the poverty line).

In June 2014, the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) approved USD 1.8 million to be disbursed over the next four months as humanitarian aid to 27 flood-affected municipalities in Serbia. The program will be carried out through Catholic Relief Services and Mercy Corps, which have each received a USD 900,000 grant.

“Based on our assessment in the field, conducted in collaboration with our local partner Hleb Života (Bread of Life), and the financial situation of affected families, we decided which families should receive aid,” explained Saša Marušić, Flood Response Project Coordinator at Mercy Corps.

Earlier in May 2014, the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) provided USD 150,000 to the Red Cross Serbia to purchase five trailer boats, 1,300 blankets, 1,000 pairs of boots, 400 raincoats, 400 sleeping mats and 10 sludge pumps.