Aiming to assist local communities in restoring normal living conditions and ensure help reaches the most vulnerable, the European Union launched on 15 August the EU Floods Recovery Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina worth 43.52 million Euro, out of which the EU’s contribution is 42.24 million Euro.
Specifically the Programme aims to rehabilitate:
• 4,000 dwellings for approximately 14,000 people
• 90 educational institutions (including pre-school facilities)
• three municipality buildings and four Centres for social welfare
• four healthcare facilities
• ten water and sanitation facilities
• 100 local roads and bridges
In addition, the Programme aims to create or retain 2,000 jobs through direct support to 700 farmers/agricultural households and 20 enterprises.
As a first priority, the Programme targets rehabilitation of 90 affected educational institutions, including refurbishment of basic equipment and didactic materials benefiting some 40,000 school-children. Rehabilitation works have already commenced in 52 priority educational institutions country-wide.
Out of the three municipality buildings that will be rehabilitated, works are ongoing in Samac and Maglaj with Doboj to follow soon. As for the four healthcare centres, works have started in Domaljevac, Maglaj and Samac and will soon start in Doboj. The rehabilitation of the Centre for Social Welfare is ongoing in Bijeljina, while works in the other three centres are planned to be initiated soon (in Doboj, Maglaj and Samac). These activities are expected to benefit around 230,000 residents of affected communities.
Under the livelihoods support component of the programme, public call for SMEs has been published on 29 August in 24 municipalities. The assistance comprises grants to SMEs to facilities their economic recovery in flood affected municipalities.
The EU Flood Recovery Programme is aligned with the Recovery Needs Assessment, which was conducted by domestic authorities with assistance provided by the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank.
The Programme is implemented through the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP) until October 2015.
