Representatives of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina and authorities from the five municipalities affected by recent floods and landslides met in Jablanica Town Hall today to discuss the post-disaster assistance of 20 million euro announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 25 October. Efforts are underway to ensure the funds begin to reach affected communities in early 2025.

Following the meeting with representatives from Jablanica, Konjic, Fojnica, Kiseljak and Kresevo, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stefano Ellero, said, “There will be three priorities for this assistance – housing, community infrastructure and private sector support. So that the assistance can swiftly reach the affected communities, the EU is currently working with the relevant BiH authorities and international partners to define objectives and the priorities for the disbursement of funds, as well as agree on the procedures and timelines. This preparatory work is essential to ensure that the funds are used effectively and in a timely way.” 

Following the devastating floods and landslides on 3 October, the European Union responded immediately to the emergency through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as well as through EUFOR.  The focus now is on supporting the affected communities to recover from this tragedy. In addition to the 20 million euro announced by President von der Leyen, Bosnia and Herzegovina is also eligible for support under the European Solidarity Fund. The BiH authorities are currently preparing an application for this.

The assistance will be distributed through implementing partners with the relevant expertise and capacity to address the needs of communities after the disaster. To ensure a hands on approach that will enable the funds to be used as soon as they are available, the meeting was also attended by UNDP Resident Representative to Bosnia Herzegovina Renaud Meyer and IOM Deputy Chief of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael O'Mahony.