Parts of Bosnia are still under water 2 weeks after the floods began

Our teams have visited some of the areas of Bosnia which are still under the water two weeks after the flooding began. My colleagues had to put on rubber boots and protect themselves with respiratory masks to see the extent of damage that the floods caused in the Northern part of the country. They visited Orasje and Brcko. Alongside with them was Hanne Bjugstad, a colleague from Save the Children Norway who came to the office to help us out with some important aspects of our emergency response. Hanne made some compelling images from the flooded areas and talked to the people directly affected by the floods. A day before yesterday she was in Zenica, talking to people who fled from their homes as they collapsed due to landslides. “I meet some of the people who have literally had their lives flushed down a river drain in only a few weeks and are now living in a military base in Zenica, just outside of Sarajevo. From here I can see for myself that even small donations made from people in the village I’m from in Norway, plays an important role in an international well-functioning system,” says Hanne. 

Hanne Bjugstad in the school yard in Tosila, Bosnia

Hanne in the boys' locker room in the school in Tosila - the room filled with sewage water spilling out due to the flood.

 

“The last couple of days we have traveled past villages affected by over 150 landslides alone, and seen areas where no one can tell for sure where the landmines are located anymore. When I am done with this assignment, I can go back to my normal job in Oslo. The sweet escape of every trip we Norwegians take outside our own comfort zone. My colleagues in Bosnia are worried about the future. Will this change everything? What happens when the media focus on something else and there is no more money coming in?” Hanne wonders.

The sports hall in Brcko now serves as the collective centre/shelter for people whose houses are flooded. PHOTO: Hanne Bjugstad