Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) Raska-Prizren Eparchy issued an urgent appeal to all SOC eparchies and humanitarian organizations to collect humanitarian aid regarding the latest situation in the north of Kosovo, Radio kontakt plus reported.

“In relation to the severe humanitarian situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, caused by the decision of Kosovo institutions to impose 100 percent tariffs on all goods from central Serbia, but also by other Pristina’s restrictive measures, the Raska-Prizren Eparchy sends an urgent appeal to all eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church and humanitarian organizations to start collecting humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable population,” Eparchy said in a statement.

“The current situation in the north of Kosovo seriously threatens to become alarming, in particular for the most poor and socially vulnerable people, who neither have the opportunity to get supply of more expensive goods from the south of Kosovo, nor travel outside the Province and get smaller quantities of goods to bring home. Should this unbearable situation continue it would directly cause gradual migration of the remaining Serbian population, which is obviously the aim of Pristina authorities that in a hypocritical manner represent this humanitarian problem as political, thus using Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija as hostages.”

The Eparchy also announced it would in shortest time open two humanitarian church points, one nearby Saint Demetrious Church in Mitrovica North and the other in the Monastery of Banjska in Zvecan municipality and transfer there existing reserves of food and other commodities the Eparchy has intended for soups’ kitchen supplying the food on a daily basis for around 2000 vulnerable people in particular in Kosovo Pomoravlje. This way the Church would try to help as much as possible by providing humanitarian packages. The aid would be given to all those vulnerable regardless of their ethnic or religious background, practise that the Church upholds for years.

The Eparchy noted its appeal does not represent interference in politics, but rather reaction of the Church on unseen misuse of the innocent population, in particular its faithful people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, who are deprived of basic rights and freedoms by restrictive measures. The Eparchy also said it expects international institutions to react urgently to this situation and help in finding solution that would protect the rights of citizens and enable normal life which was not possible at the moment.

Raska-Prizren Eparchy appeal is available at: http://www.eparhija-prizren.com/sr/saopstenja/hitan-apel-eparhije-rasko-prizrenske-pomoc-za-narod-na-severu-kim