EU PROGRES

Representatives of the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – PROGRES have handed over to Kraljevo Mayor, Ljubiša Simović, the reports about damage on 19 public buildings, total surface covering 21,000 m² that was caused during November earthquake.

The team of engineers from the PROGRES, funded by the EU, Swiss and Serbian Governments, spent three weeks in the field working with the Kraljevo Emergency Team, and completed damage assessment that was inflicted on nine schools, two children resorts, two green markets, and on the buildings of city administration, public utility company, touristic organisation and centres for social work, health and culture.

The work on the damage assessment is one of the most urgent needs of assistance to Kraljevo at present and is a precondition for sanitation of devastated buildings. PROGRES has focused its assessment efforts on institutional buildings while having in mind their importance for the restoring of normality in the public life. 

While taking over the damage assessment reports, Mayor Simović said: “On behalf of Kraljevo citizens, I would like to thank the European Union and the Swiss Government, which through PROGRES and other programmes, directly support sanitation of earthquake consequences. We appreciate this form of support because Kraljevo does not have sufficient human resources to complete damage assessment within desired timeframe. The documentation we take over may serve as an example of best practice in our future work. “

Deputy Programme Manager, Aleksandra Radetić said: “PROGRES engaged within broader efforts of the EU, Swiss Government and Serbian European Integration Office to assist Kraljevo earthquake recovery. We hope that the reports we hand over will enable you to start reconstruction of assessed public buildings quickly and thus enable pupils to return to classrooms and institutions to do their job with full capacity.” 

Although PROGRES supports development of 25 municipalities in the South and South West Serbia, excluding Kraljevo, donors of the Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as implementing agency took into consideration tragic consequences of 3 November earthquake, when two people were killed, over 50 injured and 16,000 objects were damaged, and approved engagement of engineers in Kraljevo.