Montenegrins Donate to Aid Flood-Hit Serbia

Two Interior Ministry trucks headed for Belgrade on Monday loaded with blankets, raincoats and sleeping bags, while a group of 60 volunteer blood donors also went to offer aid to people in Serbia, as people in Montenegro sought to help their neighbours deal with the flood crisis.

Volunteers from all over Montenegro will join organised air sorties over the next two days, while the Red Cross is urging people and private companies to help by donating via SMS or through a specially-established bank account.

Over the weekend, collection points were open in all Montenegro's municipalities to gather aid for flooded areas in Serbia, while local authorities in some of the municipalities made one-off cash donations to the Belgrade government.

Serbian Orthodox churches in Montenegro have also been collecting food and clothes since Friday and have been organising the transportation of volunteers to Serbia.

Media reports said that by Sunday afternoon, the Red Cross had collected tons of food, cleaning supplies, blankets and baby food, and 60,000 litres of water.

The Serbian embassy in Podgorica said it had received many offers of help from Montenegrin government institutions, municipal assemblies, companies, organisations and ordinary people who wanted to help the rescue and clean-up operations.

"We thank everyone who provided generous assistance to address the consequences of the unprecedented floods in Serbia," the embassy said in a statement said on Sunday.

Since Saturday, five Montenegrin Army rescue teams, including a diving and medical team, have been deployed in the Serbian town of Obrenovac, the worst-hit by the floods.

Hundreds of volunteers from Montenegro, firefighters and Interior Ministry rescue teams have also...