In the past two years, hundreds of thousands of migrants have tried to find a safe haven in Europe, and many have died along the way.
Tens of thousands of people who arrived safely in Europe — nearly half of them women and children — have spent more than six months in limbo at various borders due to unpredictable border closures and changing policies.
Red Cross staff and volunteers across Europe continue to work tirelessly to support those in need, including people stranded in Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Among them are two dedicated family men.
Zoran Molnar, Red Cross jack-of-all-trades, Serbia
Zoran Molnar, 52, is somewhat of a Red Cross jack-of-all-trades at the reception centre in Subotica, on Serbia’s northern border with Hungary. He never knows what the day will bring.
“Today I was here to distribute warm meals when I heard about a deeply distressed woman. She told me that she had recently given birth and that her four-day-old son had been taken into intensive care. She was desperate for information so I called the hospital,” Zoran explains.
After discussing with the medical staff, Zoran was able to ensure the mother that her son, who was in critical condition after the birth due to a diaphragmatic hernia, was now in stable condition. The baby would need to have an operation but the outlook was good.
“I hope that everything goes well and the mother can reunite with her son soon,” says Zoran who has visited Subotica reception centre three times a day for the past six weeks.
“I really like this work because it feels so good to help others. I’m happy my two daughters feel the same way.”
Raised with the Red Cross — Konstantin Gjorgjieski, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Konstantin Gjorgjieski (46), a father of two, manages the Red Cross kitchen in the Tabanovce reception centre in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. His team distributes warm meals, salads and bread to the migrants that have been stranded in the country for more than six months.
“After all these months the people here are like our relatives. We listen to them as far as we can when we plan the menus. During Ramadan we provided warm meals in the night and we have also installed ovens so that the people can prepare the food they want themselves,” Konstantin says proudly.
“I believe I was raised with the Red Cross as my mother worked as a secretary for one of the local branches. I began helping refugees from Kosovo during the Yugoslav wars and have never been able to leave. The Red Cross is my life.”
Red Cross operations in Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are funded by IFRC’s emergency appeals of more than 2.8 million and 6 million Swiss francs respectively, which include financial support from the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) and other donors.
