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Kraljevo's Social Crisis Deepens as Aid Recipients Swell and Deaths Rise
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Economy & Trade

Kraljevo's Social Crisis Deepens as Aid Recipients Swell and Deaths Rise

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Over 15,000 citizens, 14% of Kraljevo's population, rely on social assistance, with the number of deaths increasing by 70% in one year.
  • Citizens report insufficient aid, with many struggling to survive without the soup kitchen, highlighting a dire economic situation.
  • A significant rise in child beneficiaries of social services and a negative natural population growth rate raise concerns about the city's future.

Kraljevo, a city mentioned in the context of a successful state project, is experiencing a severe socio-economic downturn. Official reports reveal that over 15,000 residents, or 14% of the population, are currently receiving social assistance. This figure is accompanied by a stark 70% increase in the death rate over the past year, painting a grim picture of the city's well-being.

Social assistance is small, and people are sick. They don't have... Believe me.

โ€” a citizen of KraljevoDescribing the difficult living conditions and insufficient aid in Kraljevo.

Residents express deep concern over the inadequacy of social aid. "Social assistance is small, and people are sick. They don't have... Believe me," one citizen stated. Many rely on the "people's kitchen" for survival, with one user admitting, "I couldn't survive without the soup kitchen because I don't work anywhere." The growing list of needs, including medical treatment, heating, and school supplies, underscores the widespread hardship.

I couldn't survive without the soup kitchen because I don't work anywhere.

โ€” a user of the soup kitchenHighlighting the critical role of public aid for survival in Kraljevo.

Local political figures also acknowledge the severity of the situation. Zoran Liลกanin of the Party of Freedom and Justice noted that the statistics were "unpleasantly surprising" but accurately reflect the city's poor economic state. He anticipates the number of welfare recipients will continue to rise due to difficulties in several local factories.

What is that mayor doing? He's not helping citizens at all. What is he doing? He's organizing concerts, and here they give us swill. Why doesn't he help us, the users of social assistance?

โ€” a user of the soup kitchenCriticizing local government for prioritizing events over the needs of the poor.

Further compounding the crisis, Kraljevo recorded its highest negative natural population growth rate last year. The number of deaths significantly outpaced births, with 700 more deaths than in the previous year. A particularly worrying trend is the increasing number of children dependent on social services, with a rise of 4,000 child beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025.

The circle has turned. And the indications in the report itself are that this percentage will increase. As you know, the difficult situation in several factories in Kraljevo will lead to this number of users being much larger.

โ€” Zoran LiลกaninCommenting on the worsening economic situation and its impact on social welfare in Kraljevo.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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