More than 200 families to receive livelihood support

More than 200 families will receive support in the areas of agriculture production, employment and self-employment as part of the project to support communities affected by 2014 floods.

Bego Suljić has been unemployed for 14 years. “Life is a struggle” says Bego standing in front of his house, while his children are inside, getting ready for school classes. His six-member family survives from agriculture. “I plant fruits and vegetables. I also have a cow” Bego explains and adds “Cow rules. She earned me my first money”.

Record breaking floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014 aggravated the life of this family: the landslide has damaged their home and they can not afford to repair it.

When Public call for beneficiary selection for Flood Recovery – Housing Interventions was published, Bego fulfilled all preconditions and submitted his application. This 15 million EUR worth Programme, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, will secure housing for 2.800 people by building new houses and repairing damaged ones. After the beneficiary selection was finalized, livelihood needs assessment of all households was conducted in order to secure stable and sustainable income for the most vulnerable families in the areas of agriculture production, employment and self-employment, all in accordance with capacities and needs of each family.

Suljić family is one of more than 200 families that will receive economical support, in addition to intervention that will repair their damaged home. As family already works in agriculture, special package was designed for them that will ease and advance their agricultural production.

“This help means a lot. It will strengthen the budget. It will strengthen us” says Bego.

Flood Recovery Programme – Housing Interventions, valued at EUR 15 million, is financed by the European Union in the amount of EUR 12.5 million, in cooperation with Government of Federation of BiH, Government of Republika Srpska, local authorities of partner cities and municipalities, and UNDP in BiH.

Programme is implemented by UNDP in BiH, together with the International Organisation for Migrations (IOM), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), Hilfswerk International Austria (HWA) and partner municipalities and cities.

 

Europa.ba