Floods Balkans
Partner
Save the Children
Save the Children works towards saving the lives and saving the dreams and the future of children. Medical care, proper nutrition and education save lives. Learning to read and write, but also learning about children’s rights, employment possibilities, peace and safety provides opportunities for a better future.
The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia is extremely alarming. With an estimated two million victims, of whom 500.000 are still children, this is the worst natural disaster ever in the Balkans. The situation is threatening to escalate to a serious public health crisis.
A team from Save the Children was witness to the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These eyewitnesses report that whole villages have been wiped out by mudslides and the infrastructure has been totally destroyed.
“Cities and villages have become unrecognizable as they are covered with mud, fallen trees and rubbish” says Ahmed Pjano, programme director for Save the Children in North West Balkans. “Families have fled to tall buildings and the attics of their houses. In one night, they lost all their belongings and they do not know when their lives will be normal again. Someone described the situation as ‘the end of the world’. Everyone is using all means possible to clear the roads, but it will still take a number of days before the water has gone down a little and regions are once again accessible. In addition, the risk of infections and contagious diseases is running high.” Save the Children is on location in the two countries and is responding to the emergency by providing life-saving assistance. We offer relief materials and help with the evacuation of thousands of children and their families. The disaster will certainly have consequences for the region, resulting in an even more worrisome situation for these countries already devastated by war.
Read more about the work of Save the Children / May 2014
