Earthquake that struck Banija revealed to the general public derelict towns and poor villages lacking functional roads and street lighting, water supply network and communal services. Stories about solidarity and charity campaigns were accompanied by tales about personal fates of people from than beautiful region replete with traces of earlier destructions. Banija is abounding with stories. We will gather them from renowned authors and journalists, volunteers and ordinary people, and publish a book in the fall. With the aim to help the earthquake victims, the Serb National Council initiated humanitarian drive, “Banija is Our House”, which lasted from August, 11 to November 8, 2021, that is for 90 days provided by the International Humanitarian Law.
Humanitarian aid for a wider community in the Sisak-Moslavina County to repair damage done to people struck by the earthquake was collected with appeals to legal and private persons, by posts on social networks, website and media, with emails and humanitarian field missions, and by organizing other activities.
The Serb National Council opened multi-currency account for donations to buy all that was necessary to the Banija population struck by the earthquake. The humanitarian drive was relaunched primary because the population had to prepare for the coming winter.
During the first SNC‘s humanitarian drive, “Banija is Our House”, which lasted from December 30, 2020 to March 29, 2021 on the dedicated account in total over 2.142.689 kunas (285.407.59 €) was received. Financial aid was paid by citizens, legal persons and Serbian institutions. The SNC redirected 400.000 kunas (53.089.12 €) for the earthquake victims, but the largest part of donations came from legal persons.
Collected funds were used for buying material aid: 39 containers and various construction material necessary for repairing the damage to residential houses and economic facilities, 1.300 packages with food and hygiene supplies were collected, the SNC assisted the soup kitchen Merhamet from Sisak with 15.000 kunas (1990.84 €) and gave 5.000 kunas (663.61 €) to the Association of Blind in the Sisak-Moslavina County, and donated 500 rubber boots to the Red Cross.
Also, material donations worth 4.7 millions kunas (623.797.2 €) were received through the humanitarian drive “Banija is Our House”. 125 containers for temporary housing of families were secured, of which 86 were donated by the SPC, namely the Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana, and 25 by the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia. The largest part of construction material was donated by the Fund for refugees and displaced persons in cooperation with Serbs from the Novi Sad region. You can read entire report on the first SNC humanitarian drive here.
We have continued to provide help after the humanitarian drive ended in cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church, and particularly the Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana and the Republic of Srpska (BiH).
In 2022, the government of Republic of Srpska donated around seven hundred seventy thousand Euros (771.900.00 €) for the construction of ten prefabricated houses for homeless families affected by the Banija earthquake. The Serb National Council in coordination with the Ministry of Construction (Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets) and the Central State Office for Reconstruction and Housing was involved in implementation of the donation. The STECO Center LLC company from Bijeljina was hired to build prefabricated houses, and it also co-financed the construction in amount of around twenty eight thousand Euros (28.040.00 €). The Serb National Council donated two hundred thousand Euros (200.000.00 €) and was chiefly involved in finding beneficiaries, preparation of documents and commissioning of prefabricated houses. The Ministry of Construction makes decisions on the right to replacement house, and the Central State Office for Reconstruction and Housing is in charge for removal of dilapidated houses (marked with red label), foundations works and expert construction supervision. The SNC with above mentioned partners actualized the construction and furnishing of ten prefabricated houses, Model ZELLER, eight houses 55m2 for families with up to three members, and two houses, Model ZELLER 85m2, for families with at least four members. Total value of ten prefabricated houses (without foundations and removal) was 799.940.00 € without VAT, or almost one million Euros (999.940.00 €) with VAT.
