CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
SERBIA FLOODS 2006
May 2, 2006


SITUATION: In April the River Danube broke through flood protection, 
driving hundreds of families from their homes and swamping thousands of 
acres of farmland in Serbia, Romania and Hungry.  The river has risen to 
a 111-year record high, displacing hundreds of people across the Balkans 
and has placed tens of thousands more at risk.

One of the affected areas is Serbia's Smederevo district, some 30 miles 
southeast of Belgrade.  There, 450 families who survived the floods - 
some 2,250 persons in all, including 900 Roma persons -- are coping with 
lost or heavily damaged homes, as well as other losses. Many of those 
affected have had to leave their homes.

According to an assessment conducted by Church World Service staff, the 
immediate needs of flood victims are food parcels and hygiene items. 
Longer-term needs are likely to involve assisting in vitalizing arable 
land or reconstruction of houses.


RESPONSE: CWS is responding to this emergency by providing short-term 
humanitarian assistance and relief for some of those living in Serbia's 
Smederevo district. Specifically: 1,000 flood survivors living at the 
Red Cross home and with host families in the district.

Assistance will include food parcels and personal hygiene kits.

Each food parcel is expected to contain a month's supply of powdered 
milk, oil, sugar, flour, canned meat and other commodities to be 
determined.

CWS plans to start an initial relief distribution of food and hygiene 
parcels by May 15; the project will be coordinated, supervised and 
supported by CWS from its regional office, located in Belgrade.


BUDGET:

$18,700 for food parcels; $15,100 for hygiene kits; $5,300 for 
personnel, transportation and loading, operations and administrative 
costs.

Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to your denomination 
or directly to:

Church World Service
Serbia Floods 2006, Account #6632
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is 
responding please visit us online or call the CWS Hotline, (800) 
297-1516.

CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151

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