Communities still relying on food distributions and other basic support / Current heavy rainfall raises concerns of renewed flooding
Belgrade/Sarajevo, 13 August 2014 - Three months after heavy rainfall caused devastating floods in parts of the Balkans, CARE International projects a long and arduous road to recovery. More than three million people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and parts of Croatia were heavily affected by the destruction caused by high water levels and landslides. In Bosnia and Herzegovina almost 90,000 people were displaced and around 75,000 houses were damaged.
"Many people were still recovering from many years of war, now they need to build up their lives from scratch again", explains Sumka Bučan, CARE’s Regional Director for the Balkans. "Farmers face contamination of the soil. The floods brought debris and polluted water to the surface which will likely have severe effects on the upcoming harvest season in autumn."
In the first days after the floods, CARE distributed water pumps, cleaning and disinfection materials as well as baby food to the affected communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Today, emergency teams continue to provide food because communities have lost their crops and livestock and simply do not have enough to eat. Recently CARE Bosnia distributed flour, sugar, canned tuna and other food items in Šekovići and Bratunac, two heavily affected communities. Sumka Bučan says: "This is one of the biggest disasters I have ever seen. Houses are completely destroyed, fields are devastated. Even three months after the floods, there are hundreds of families who simply do not have enough food."
In Serbia, CARE is still scaling up distributions in Obrenovac, a town nearby Serbia’s capital Belgrade. "CARE will distribute food, seeds and livestock to more than 120 families in the region", says Marina Starčević-Cviko from CARE’s office in Serbia. "The needs remain enormous. We hope to scale up our support over the next months."
Over the last days, recurring heavy rainfall in Bosnia and Herzegovina has raised the concern of renewed flooding. "At this point, people are afraid that new rain might cause rivers to rise again. Thousands of landslides have been activated and some of the areas are still unsafe for return", explains CARE Director Bučan.
The recovery phase will take a very long time. "The floods devastated communities which already suffered from chronic poverty. Now they need to rebuild almost their entire livelihood again. We are thankful for the solidarity and support shown by other countries, but needs are still enormous. Our focus should now be the support of farmers to test their soil and start to replant again", adds Bučan.
CARE has raised 61 percent of its appeal of 1.1 million euros for emergency response and recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia. To date, our work has served almost 3,000 people.
CARE’s emergency response in the Balkans can be supported with a donation:
- 60 Euros provide a food package for a family
- 20 Euros provide a hygiene kit including gloves, rubbish bags and cleaning materials
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. CARE has been working in the Balkans since 1993, placing a special focus on working alongside marginalized groups such as Roma and empowering women to receive education, health and earn an income.
Media Contacts:
Ninja Taprogge, [email protected], +49 228 975 63 23