The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil
Protection Mechanism which has been activated upon the request of Serbia
and Bosnia & Herzegovina due to the severe flooding in the two countries.
A total of 21 EU Member States offered assistance such as motor boats,
helicopters, pumps, humanitarian kits and deployed over 500 relief workers
to the two countries. Two EU Civil Protection teams have been sent to Serbia
and Bosnia & Herzegovina to help with the coordination of relief efforts.
The European Commission is providing satellite imagery of the flooded areas
to the relevant authorities in the two countries and is co-financing the
transportation costs of aid.
The European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre
(ERCC) is in constant contact with the two affected countries and with the
participating states in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, matching the
incoming offers for assistance with needs on the ground.
EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva visited Serbia and Bosnia &
Herzegovina in the immediate aftermath of the flooding to assess the
situation and met with the authorities and rescue workers.
In Bosnia & Herzegovina the situation remains still complex
due to numerous landslides, causing houses collapsing and road damages. Rescue teams are
evacuating the population at risk. Many cities still have neither electricity nor running water and
there is a shortage of bottled water, food, medication and blankets
In addition, Bosnia & Herzegovina requested
pumps, generators, tents, humidity dryers, water purification sets, gas heaters for tents and sanitation
items.
EU assistance
On Friday, 15 May, in the evening, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated due to severe
flooding that has affected Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. 21 Member States have so far offered
assistance through the Mechanism.
Most of the assistance has arrived to the countries affected during the weekend of 17 and 18 May, the
rest of it is underway. Offers for assistance by Member States keep coming in. The European
Commission co-finances the assistance transportation costs. In addition, satellite imagery of the
affected areas is being produced by the EC.
An EU Civil Protection Team has arrived in Serbia on Saturday, 17 May, and in Bosnia & Herzegovina
on Sunday, 18 May, to assist the national authorities in their response to the wide scale flooding and to
support the coordination of the incoming EU assistance. On 20 May, an EU humanitarian expert has
been deployed to Serbia to support the assessment of humanitarian needs on the ground.
More than 500 relief workers from the Member States have been deployed through the EU Civil
Protection Mechanism to the two countries.
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia,
Slovakia, Italy, Poland and Romania and have offered rescue boats, high capacity pumps and
operational teams to Serbia.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK responded to the request of
Bosnia & Herzegovina for rescue and evacuation helicopters, motor boats, generators, sandbags, tents,
blankets and humanitarian aid kits.
ST
