Helping people in Serbia | ASB Foreign Aid

Unfortunately, domestic violence is a widespread social problem in the Balkans. ASB supports shelters and women's refuges for victims of domestic violence by providing the necessary construction and refurbishment work, specialised training for staff and transnational exchanges. In this way, ASB contributes to regional cooperation and improved safety for victims of domestic violence in the Western Balkans.

Project title: United against domestic violence in the Western Balkans - Regional cooperation and support for shelters for victims of domestic violence
Project region: Western Balkans (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia)
Project volume: 577,000 euros
Funding: Federal Foreign Office and 11 project municipalities in Western Balkan countries
Duration: 2024

ASB is committed to the social integration of Roma, returnees under readmission agreements and other hard-to-place groups and strengthens the Roma population at an economic level.

Project title: Social integration and economic empowerment of the Roma population in Serbia (phases 1 and 2)
Project region: Northern Serbia (Beočin, Šid, Subotica, Žabari) and Southern Serbia (Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Dimitrovgrad, Leskovac, Surdulica, Vladičin Han, Vranje)
Project volume: EUR 500,000.00 (phase 1); EUR 200,000.00 (phase 2)
Funding: Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) / Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Duration: 2020-2022 (phase 1); 2023-2024 (phase 2)

The ASB and its local partners have established the IRIS network, which is the only network in the Western Balkans connecting small local organisations and social service providers. The ASB offers training courses for the representatives of NGOs, mentoring and also financially supporting them. In this way, the ASB helps with the development of municipalities and helps them with social policy and integration issues.

Project title: IRIS NETWORKing – Development and strengthening of a regional network of local civil society and social service providers (several phases)
Project region: Western Balkans
Project volume: 822.000 euros (current phase), 3.620.000 euros (total)​​​​​​​
Project financing: European Commission
Project duration: 2012-2026

Find out more about the project

The ASB is working in central and southern Serbia on supporting the reintegration of returnees from EU countries and local vulnerable populations.

Project title: RE!NTEGRATE – Support for sustainable (re-)integration of returnees in Serbia (phases 1 and 2)
Project region: Central and southern Serbia
Project volume: € 3,448,487.01
Project financing: ASB, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); local municipalities in Serbia
Project duration: 2019-2021 (phase I) and 2022-2025 (phase II)

Find out more about the current project here.

The ASB is supporting health centres in seven cities in Serbia in the fight against COVID-19.

Project title: Strengthening the resilience of local health centres in the Western Balkans against the consequences of COVID-19
Project region: Serbia
Project volume: € 85,500
Project financing: Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH)
Project duration: 2022

Poverty and socio-economic marginalisation are still a problem in Serbia, especially in rural areas. Many families do not have sufficient income or secure livelihoods. With the support of the German Federal Foreign Office and local communities in Serbia, ASB is helping families by equipping greenhouses or machinery and providing training to develop agricultural production or small businesses.

Project title: More social benefits through economic growth: Socio-economic support for vulnerable families and local social service providers in Serbia (several phases)
Project region: Serbia
Project volume: EUR 816,870.00 (several phases)
Funding: Federal Foreign Office; local municipalities in Serbia
Duration: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

The ASB is raising awareness among the general Serbian public about the COVID-19 vaccinations. To this end, the ASB organised meetings that brought municipalities and health workers together. During the meetings, discussions took place on how young people and the Roma community can be better informed about vaccinations. 

Project title: COVID-19 vaccination
Project region: 11 municipalities in central and southern Serbia
Project volume: € 37,000
Project financing: World Health Organization (WHO) / USAID
Project duration: 2022 - 2023

The ASB is working in Pirot, Serbia on supporting men women as well as children and young people affected by poverty and social exclusion. In particular, the ASB provides assistance to the most vulnerable young people leaving the social care system and the Roma population.

Project title: Social housing and active integration
Project region: Pirot, Serbia
Project volume: € 68,000
Project financing: European Commission/UNOPS, City of Pirot
Project duration: 2022-2024

The ASB supported families in Serbia affected by the 2014 floods in Valjevo, Osecina, Ljubovija, Mali Zvornik, Bajina Basta, Sid, Loznica, Sabac and Obrenovac.

Project title: Rebuilding housing, economic recovery and continued support to the families in Serbia affected by the flood
Project region: Serbia
Project volume: € 6,342,000
Project financing: European Commission
Project duration: 2014-2017

Go to information report (in German)

The ASB assists Syrian and other refugees in transit through Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece.

Project title: Supporting Syrian and other refugees in camps and in transit in Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece
Project region: Balkan route and camps in Serbia
Project volume: € 3,000,541.46
Project financing: Federal Foreign Office
Project duration: 2015-2018

Go to information report (in German)

Go to the report on ASB Federal Chairman Knut Fleckenstein’s visit (in German)

The ASB helps migrants, including asylum seekers in third countries, on their way through Macedonia and Serbia. It supports local civil society organisations that help migrants by building capacities and raises public awareness of the protection of human rights.

Project title: Assistance on the route – promotion of the protection of the human rights of migrants in transit through Macedonia and Serbia
Project region: Serbia, North Macedonia
Project volume: € 693,058.35
Project financing: European Commission
Project duration: 2016-2018
 

The ASB assisted in organising and managing the reception centre in Dimitrovgrad at the beginning of the refugee crisis in Serbia. It built a centre for 80 to 90 migrants and provided a sanitary container and three accommodation containers. In addition, the ASB helped the authorities to better manage the crisis, for example by procuring equipment or providing staff.

Project title: Immediate response to the migrant/refugee crisis in Serbia
Project region: Serbia
Project volume: € 999,911
Project financing: European Commission
Project duration: 2015-2016

The ASB assists Syrian refugees in Subotica, Kanjiza and Tabanovci by setting up basic primary care facilities for the winter, distributing food, water and hygiene packages and providing medical support.

Project title: Support for refugees from Syria in Serbia and North Macedonia
Project region: Serbia and North Macedonia
Project volume: € 264,900
Project financing: Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH)
Project duration: 2015-2016