prijava
SARAJEVO, January 26 (FENA) - With an aim to alleviate the effects of the catastrophic floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) in 2014, the implementation of the second phase of the Flood Recovery Program started.
The program, valued at 15 million euros, is funded by the European Union, in the amount of 12.5 million euro, in cooperation with the Government of Federation of BiH, the Government of Republika Srpska, municipal and city authorities and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in BiH.
The Flood Recovery Program provides support to sustainable recovery by improving housing conditions for 2,895 vulnerable individuals whose homes have been damaged or destroyed in the 2014 disaster; and by strengthening economically 555 households through agricultural assistance, establishment of small business as well as employment in the private sector.
“The EU is very committed to assist BiH in responding to the flood recovery and is the largest donors that supported the country with approx. 83.2 million euro to face the flood emergency in close co-operation with BiH authorities. In the next 3 years the contract worth 12.5 million euro aimed at the Flood Recovery Program (and co-financed by local authorities and UNDP with EUR 1.9 million) will support the sustainable recovery of flood and landslide affected communities in both entities. Approximately 2,800 people will benefit directly from this project through re/construction of their housing units that were destroyed or heavily damaged during the floods” said Gianluca Vannini, Head of Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Cooperation in the Delegation of European Union to BiH.
As part of the Program, in October 2017, Public Call for Selection of Beneficiaries was published to which 3,950 households applied. Currently, field verification of these households is in progress and upon its completion, final list of beneficiaries will be announced. The start of construction of new and rehabilitation of existing households is planned for spring 2018. Analysis of household needs will follow in order to define economic assistance packages.
„UNDP and European Union have been cooperating for years in order to mitigate the effects of catastrophic floods from 2014. First phase of the Flood Recovery Program (201-2016) improved the quality of lives for 610,000 people. Now, we are continuing with the activities in order to provide safe housing and economic assistance to the most vulnerable who still have not recovered,” said Edis Arifagić, Head of Local Development Program in UNDP BiH.
Flood Recovery Program is implemented by UNDP in BiH, in cooperation with International Organization for Migration (IOM), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), Hilfswerk International Austria (HWA) and partner cities and municipalities. The program is being implemented in 44 municipalities/cities: Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Bratunac, Brod, Cazin, Doboj, Doboj Istok, Domaljevac-Šamac, Donji Žabar, Goražde, Gračanica, Gradiška, Jezero, Kakanj, Kalesija, Kostajnica, Laktaši, Lopare, Maglaj, Modriča, Novi Grad, Odžak, Orašje, Petrovo, Prijedor, Prnjavor, Sapna, Srbac, Srebrenik, Šamac, Šekovići, Šipovo, Teslić, Tešanj, Travnik, Tuzla, Ugljevik, Vareš, Vlasenica, Vogošća, Zavidovići, Zenica, Zvornik and Žepče.
(FENA) S. R.
