Roads and bridges are flooded, schools and kindergartens have been shut down, 100,000 homes in Serbia left without power, while rain-swollen rivers and surging water course through towns and villages, overflowing across streets into homes, causing landslides and other disasters.

The situation is so dramatic, that the entire families have lost their homes in the floods. Finding a shelter is a real adventure for many. In the city of Svilajnac more than 1.000 flood victims had to seek refuge on the roof tops, waiting for the rescuers to come and save them. In Veliko Polje near Obrenovac the dam broke, and the river flooded the whole area… Hundreds of cars and buses are stranded along the flooded roads.  The situation is the most dramatic in western Serbia, where more than 500 people were evacuated during the night.

These are the heaviest rains and floods ever recoded in 120 years. Entire towns are cut off and the slow-moving cyclone is said to last until the weekend. Serbia has already declared a nationwide flood emergency on Thursday. Several people have already drowned and the numbers are only growing.

Meteorologists say that more than double of Serbia’s average rainfall for the whole of May is expected to fall within just two and half days. Major traffic routes, such as the E-75 Belgrade-Skopje highway, are submerged. Serbia’s rail link to Montenegro is also severed.

Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina:

In Republika Srpska, they are still struggling with surging waters. Overflowing rivers have burst into towns and villages, cutting off whole communities, while landslides have buried houses.

The most critical area is near river Sava, so called Posavina. Conditions in Šamac are dire, the Brčko district mound is threatened by deluged water. It is said that the level of River Sava is over nine meters high and almost 1.35m higher than it was in 2010.

Yesterday because the dam near Batkovci fell, started the evacuation of 10.000 people. Army helicopters have been sent to evacuate stranded residents but bad weather is hampering the rescue efforts.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina the Sava broke the dam in the area Orasje and more than 1,000 people needed to be evacuated. The situation is  difficult in the area of Odzak and Bijeljina.

Water wave from Croatia is expected to arrive in Sabac and Sremska Mitrovica (Serbia). Still the situation is worst in Obrenovac and Baric (Serbia) which are completely submerged.

Croatian helicopters  are aiding in the  rescue operation, providing assistance to the flooded areas in BiH, especially the areas of Odzak, Orasje, Bijeljina, Bosanski Samac, and the wider area of Zenica. The exact number of deaths in the country is not known.

Floods that have affected Bosnia and Herzegovina have also caused massive landslides across the country. There are approximately 2000 active landslides forcing a large number of families to be evacuated.

Croatia:

Therefore, we have to turn to all of you for help! There is no time left. We have to act promptly. Let’s unite and confront this together!

We call on all people of good will who are able to help in any way to make donations in the form of food, clothing, and footwear.

Ways You Can Help In Serbia

“‹MONEY DONATIONS:”‹

Government of Serbia

BANK ACCOUNTS FOR HELP (dinar and foreign currency accounts of the Government of Serbia to help those in need):

• RSD account: 840-3546721-89. Purpose of payment: Removal of extraordinary circumstances – flooding.
  Foreign currency Account: 01-504619-100193230-000000-0000, special purpose account for funds for elimination of consequences of floodsFor donations from abroad: Money transfer instructions can be found here.

The Government of Serbia has succeeded in opening PAYPAL account. See the photo below.

TO DONATE MONEY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA VIA PAYPAL, follow this link.

SMS number for help (for all networks, price 100 RSD):1003

Current account for help (City of Belgrade):

• Special purpose account: 01-504103-100000300-000000-0000 – Grad Beograd – Sekretarijat za finansije.  IBAN: RS35908504103000030058.  Payment Instructions are on the website of the City of Belgrade, at www.beograd.rs.

RED CROSS SERBIA – PaymentS from abroad: All instructions can be found at this link.

Red Cross Serbia will announce in the media where they have directed their money.

NDF

Should you wish, you can also choose to donate to NDF via our paypall account. All the money we have received starting from yesterday, will be used for reconstruction of kindergartens and schools ruined in the floods.

After Monday, we will have a clearer picture where the help is most needed and we will announce it via our channels. Please follow us for more updates.

“‹CALL CENTERS”‹

The Ministry of the Interior Affairs has also established a call center through which all interested people willing to help, are able to obtain information in order to realise their contributions. The call center will be open 24 hours a week and will coordinate all actions with other governmental agencies.

The telephone numbers of the call center: + 381 11 312 0741 ,+ 381 11 312 0739, + 381 11 312 9939,+ 381 11 312 0742, + 381 11 312 0646, + 381 11 3148 474, + 381 11 3148 547, + 381 11 3613 321, + 381 11 3148 509, + 381 11 3148 517.

You can also get information emailing to: pomoc.vanrednasituacija@mup.gov.rs.

HUMANITARIAN ACTIONS”‹

For more  information and photos from all critical and flood-affected areas on Twitter, follow the hashtag  #poplave, as well as the hashtag  #SerbiaFloods  for information in English.”‹

All photos were taken from  twitter.  Foto 1,  Foto  2,  Foto 3,  Foto 4,  Foto 5

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