Smederevo, Serbia - 29 August, 2007 - (Kosov@News) - The Krstic family of eleven, IDPs from Kosovo, began a hunger strike in front of the government building on Tuesday.  Dragan Krstic from Obilic, his wife and seven of their nine children want the state to solve their housing problem, provide them financial help and provide Dragan with employment. “I had two houses in Obilic, but both were burned to the ground. My family and I currently reside in a collective centre in Smederevo in a 12 sq meter room,” Krstic explained. He added that the state had never responded to his demands, despite constant promises given by politicians.

“When Bozidar Djelic signed the agreement with the World Bank on eradicating poverty in this country, our picture appeared in the media. But nothing happened after that," said Krstic. According to him, before going on hunger strike, the Krstics met with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) General Secretary Aleksandar Vucic who pledged to pressure the government into dealing with the family's troubles. “Vucic also gave me 8.000 dinars (about €100) as a present. When I appealed to the Smederevo municipal president for money to buy school books and clothes for my children, he refused to help me on the grounds that the municipality lacked funds,” Krstic told reporters in Belgrade. This is the fourth time Krstic has embarked on a hunger strike, having done the same in 2004, 2006 and in March this year.