Rapid assistance in Krupanj, Serbia. Assistance was quickly available on the ground.
Flooding in the Balkans
May 2014. After days of rainfall, disastrous flooding devastated entire districts in the Balkans. Wiener Städtische Osiguranje in Serbia ensured that assistance was provided quickly and without bureaucracy.
Rapid, unbureaucratic assistance was organised under the slogan “Wiener for Serbia”. VIG employees showed extraordinary commitment in this situation.
Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were particularly strongly affected. Tens of thousands of people fled from the massive flooding. Many houses, roads and bridges were destroyed. People were suddenly left with nothing. VIG did not stand idly by. A number of initiatives were quickly started by local employees on site and from Vienna.
The VIG company Wiener Städtische Osiguranje organised rapid, unbureaucratic assistance for flood victims under the slogan “Wiener for Serbia”. It temporarily stopped all marketing and advertising activities and used the funds it saved to help victims. Around 20 pumping stations were provided for households that were particularly badly affected. The “Wiener Truck” delivered aid packages to customers and employees affected by the flooding to ensure adequate supplies of food, sanitary products and clothing.
A 24-hour hotline was set up at the same time under this aid campaign. Customers were actively informed about the different possibilities for quick claims processing for flood damage and measures to protect their property. To avoid shortages of funds, customers affected by the flooding could also request the temporary suspension of premium payments until the situation had calmed in their local area. “It was impressive to personally experience the untiring commitment of our entire local team as they provided rapid assistance”, confirmed Svetlana Smiljanic, member of the Managing Board of Wiener Städtische Osiguranje.
VIG Holding and VIG’s principal shareholder, Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, also provided help in the form of financial assistance for the “ANA and VLADE DIVAC” foundation. The donation allowed the houses of ten families seriously affected by the flooding to be made liveable again.
This extraordinary commitment by our Serbian VIG employees is impressive proof of their reliability, even in extreme situations like this. Effective solutions for immediate assistance, personal motivation and a feeling of connection with people in need: this is the attitude that sets our big VIG family apart from others.