Currently ongoing in Bosnia and Herzegovina is European Union supported project that aims to provide housing interventions for almost 3,000 people whose homes were destroyed or damaged during the 2014 floods and landslides.
Đorđa and his wife Dušanka have no fear of rain anymore. By moving into new house, built under Flood Recovery – Housing Interventions Programme, this couple from Modriča, city in North Bosnia and Herzegovina, has gained much needed safety.
“We are great” says Dušanka sitting on the couch in the living room of their new home. Living room is connected to the kitchen, while there is also bedroom, bathroom and corridor in the house. Month has passed since they moved in and house is being equipped humbly, slowly and with lots of attention. Garden in front of the house is filled with flowers planted by Dušanka.
“It was a bit odd, as if we arrived to a different world” Đorđa describes the first days living in a new location, some 20 kilometers away from their old house that was hit by landslide in 2014 and, in the years that came, remained under constant threat of collapse. Despite the danger, the couple lived in this house for five years as they could not afford to move.
“Every time the rain came, I had to stay awake whole night because you never know when landslide will start moving” says Đorđa. “You must not fall asleep”.
Through the Flood Recovery – Housing Interventions Programme, financed by the European Union in cooperation with entity governments, partner municipalities and cities, and implemented by United Nations Development Programme, Đorđa fulfilled conditions to receive new home. Having in mind that his old home was hit by the landslide, the construction on that location was impossible so Modriča Municipality provided space in Oteža settlement for Đorđe and all other beneficiaries in similar situation.
“It is different now. I have a roof over my head, the old house can collapse!” says Đorđa, while Dušanka is laughing: “We are feeling very nice now”.
Flood Recovery – Housing Interventions Programme supports recovery of 44 flood affected local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Housing interventions for almost 3,000 people, including Đorđa and Dušanka, whose homes were destroyed or damaged in 2014, are currently ongoing. As part of the Programme, 200 households received support in area of agricultural production and small businesses.
Besides the fact that the new home provides safe roof over their heads, it is also closer to the city enabling Đorđa and Dušanka with easier access to employment opportunities, since both of them are unemployed.
