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Vučić promised aid a year ago for village fire victims – many are still waiting
🇷🇸 Serbia /Disasters & Emergencies

Vučić promised aid a year ago for village fire victims – many are still waiting

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A year after devastating fires, villages in Serbia's Toplica district are still struggling to recover.
  • Residents like Milan Matić, who was promised swift aid by President Vučić, have yet to receive any financial support.
  • Issues such as water supply remain unresolved, and no new homes have been built by the state.

One year after severe wildfires ravaged the Toplica district in Serbia, many villages remain in a state of disarray, with residents still awaiting promised aid. In Dubovo, the crucial issue of water supply remains unaddressed, and the state has failed to construct any new homes for those displaced or whose properties were destroyed.

You will receive it now, and you will receive it faster than you think - much faster than you think, both money and everything else.

— Aleksandar VučićPresident Vučić's promise of swift aid to Milan Matić during a visit after the fires.

Milan Matić, a resident whose home was significantly damaged, recounted a personal encounter with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. During a visit last July, Vučić publicly assured Matić that assistance, including financial aid, would arrive "faster than you think." However, Matić claims he has not received a single dinar to date, despite numerous attempts to follow up with municipal and ministerial offices.

I only showed in the recording what had burned down and said that my beekeeping equipment had also burned, and he said - you will receive it faster than you think.

— Milan MatićMatić recalling Vučić's promise specifically regarding his destroyed beekeeping equipment.

Matić's house suffered extensive damage, with the roof burning and walls cracking from the intense heat. He was officially denied state aid for its reconstruction because he did not meet the criteria, such as proving a minimum electricity consumption of 350 kilowatts. This requirement, he argues, is unreasonable for someone whose home is uninhabitable.

Everything was destroyed, the roof burned, and the walls cracked from the high temperature.

— Milan MatićMatić describing the damage to his house.

The article highlights a stark contrast between the president's public promises, made amidst significant media attention, and the reality on the ground for affected residents. While some individuals may have received assistance for auxiliary structures, Matić's case involves his primary residence, leaving him in a precarious situation a year after the disaster. The lack of response from the local municipality and relevant ministries further compounds the frustration of those affected.

It was chaos. We couldn't get in.

— Milan's relativeDescribing the scene during the fire.
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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