In the midst of a tremendous flooding disaster, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) moved quickly to help residents of Jasa Tomic, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, said Roy Richardson, the ADRA director in the Trans-European region.
In the midst of a tremendous flooding disaster, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) moved quickly to help residents of Jasa Tomic, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, said Roy Richardson, the ADRA director in the Trans-European region.
The village of 3,500 people, located in the Northeastern part of Vojvodina, close to the Romanian border, was flooded by the Tamis river on April 21. A flood wave came from Romania after flood dams there released due to heavy rains, according to information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
ADRA responded immediately by sending three truckloads of supplies that included 320 boxes of clothes; shoes for 110 people; 440 pounds (200 kilos) of corn flour for kachamak, a Serbian porridge; 500 candles; 6.5 tons of bread flour; 200 boxes of food and 400 baby meals. Supplies of clothes and food were sent from the ADRA warehouse near Belgrade and in cooperation with the Southeast European region of the Adventist Church, which funded the bread flour.
The town took a heavy toll from the flooding: more than 250 homes were destroyed and more than 700 others were flooded. Since most of these houses are constructed out of clay bricks, the fear is that more houses will be weakened or destroyed as the water subsides. Since April 22, the water has gone down 20 inches (50 cm) and could take up to five more weeks to fully abate.
A proposal for further help was submitted, and ADRA’s United Kingdom and Trans-European units responded with a further U.S. $20,000 (15,573 pounds) to provide additional food for the families who have lost their homes or are waiting for the waters to subside in order to return to their homes. On May 10 the first truckload of this new project delivered 6,000 meals and nearly 900 gallons (3,320 liters) of drinking water to the residents of Jasa Tomic. The same day, Richardson accompanied Dragan Pejovski, ADRA Serbia director, on a visit to the town.
“It was an experience to be paddled around the streets in a little boat and witness the hardship many families are facing,” Richardson said. “I could see the tremendous loss in the many houses that have collapsed and was able to feel a little of their grief. ... I was [also] impressed by the resilience of the people and how they are making the best of this terrible situation.”
ADRA’s Serbia unit will continue to support the villagers, as they are able. Internationally, ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age or ethnicity. Additional information can be found at www.adra.org.
