Zrenjanin, Serbia, 13 April 2023 – The mood was as bright as the weather today, as keys to 25 newly-built Regional Housing Programme (RHP) apartments were delivered to refugee families in Zrenjanin, Serbia.

In addition to the beneficiaries themselves, the ceremony was attended by Nataša Stanisavljević, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia (KIRS); Soufiane Adjali, UNHCR Representative in Serbia; Gerhard Salzer, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia; Simo Salapura, Mayor of Zrenjanin, and Dušan Kovačević, Head of the Public Sector Projects Implementation Unit Ltd., amongst others.

RHP beneficiaries and stakeholders in front of the new RHP building in Zrenjanin, Serbia

Addressing those gathered for the event, Commissioner Stanisavljević pledged that KIRS would continue with the delivery of new housing units within the RHP: “In the next two months, we expect to deliver another 450 new homes for the most-vulnerable refugees,” she said.

Mayor Salapura and Commissioner Stanisavljević cut the ribbon to the RHP building

One of the beneficiaries present, Duško Jeftenić, thanked RHP stakeholders on behalf of the refugee families: “The difficult years are behind us. We are reluctant to remember those times, and have decided to look to the future instead,” he said. “Today, one of the most beautiful things happened to us – now, we look forward to finally settling down in our new apartments.”

Gerhard Salzer delivers keys to an RHP beneficiary

Soufiane Adjali congratulates an RHP beneficiary

RHP building in Zrenjanin