A Belgrade-based civil society group will organise on Sunday a concert for people from Croatia's central region of Banija, hit by a strong earthquake in December 2020, with the event featuring musicians from all over former Yugoslavia who have supported the group's regional initiative.

“I hope we will be able to raise funds to build at least one or two houses for the earthquake victims in Banija,” said Marko Oljaca, president of the civil society group, called Koraci (Steps).

He noted that the public in the region had responded well to the initiative, recalling the first event of support to the earthquake victims, held outside the Croatian embassy in Belgrade shortly after the earthquake.

“We hope the regional initiative connecting people from the area of former Yugoslavia will help build bridges of friendship and strengthen their lasting ties damaged by bad and wrong policies of the regional so-called political elites,” Oljaca told the FoNet news agency.

The Koraci NGO believes their campaign will be supported by numerous donors, including companies and businesses from Croatia that operate in Serbia.

Oljača recalled that after the December 2020 earthquake, the NGO’s activists delivered wood material, food, clothing and other supplies to the earthquake victims, as well as donating more than 1,000 books to the Petrinja library.

He also announced new humanitarian drives for the earthquake victims.