Nastic: We are facing a humanitarian disaster, we rely on the international community

The deadline for the eviction of the Social Welfare Center in Leposavic, requested by the mayor of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi, expires today. The 1,500 social aid recipients are worried about their survival, with those from vulnerable categories finding themselves in the most difficult situation. This morning, concerned beneficiaries came one after another to claim their social assistance rights.

The Director of the Social Welfare Center, Natasa Nastic, says they have nowhere to go and that social aid beneficiaries will no longer be able to access their rights.

"Today is the deadline, the last day. According to their request, we should have vacated the premises already. We came to work this morning, and as you can see, there are many social aid beneficiaries here, trying to claim their rights. We have nowhere to go, and if we leave these premises, we won't be able to continue. Our beneficiaries will have nowhere to claim their rights, which could very easily lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, as I have been warning in the past few days," Nastic said.

Stana Vukadinovic from the village of Kijevcice is worried because, as she says, Raska is too far for the elderly and sick, especially those who already struggle to reach this current location.

"It is very difficult, even for us younger ones, let alone the elderly and sick. I can’t even describe how hard it is. This is the only source of income for me, and my husband is sick, receiving Kosovo aid. We use it for necessities, for medicines, food, and everything else. It is much easier to come here, and sometimes it is even hard to get here, let alone go all the way to Raska. With the money and energy needed, it is impossible. And the border crossing and constant crowds – everyone knows what it's like, no words are needed," Vukadinovic said.

Bogoljub Milojevic from the village of Rodelj added that if the Social Welfare Center is closed, he won't be able to survive.

"Social assistance means a lot to me. I don't have a job, I live off that money, and I'm not in good health. If the Social Welfare Center moves, it will be a huge problem. With social assistance, I can’t even cover half of my living costs. Of course, I worry – how will I live without a job? If I had a job, I wouldn’t worry," Milojevic said.

Nastic added that some social aid recipients are unable to travel beyond Leposavic due to health issues.

"If we are forced to relocate, it will cause significant problems for some beneficiaries because many of them are unable to travel beyond Leposavic. They don’t have the financial means to go anywhere else, which will create a huge problem for our community and the people who depend on us," Nastic emphasized.

She added that she hopes the international community will intervene to prevent the relocation of this vital institution.

"My colleagues and I hope that the international community will react and that we will be able to remain here because we have been operating for more than half a century," Nastic concluded.