U.S. To Provide Psycho-Social Support To Flood Victims

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in BiH, the Acting Mission Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bosnia Herzegovina, Alexander Bond, and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Representative Gianluca Rocco signed a grant of $180,000 to IOM to provide psycho-social support to flood victims and ex-combatants through the NATO Perspektiva Program in BiH.

This USAID-funded project will complement and support NATO, UK and Norwegian efforts to build the capacity of the BiH government to reintegrate discharged military personnel into civilian life. It is intended to complete and complement the efforts of the 2010-2012 NATO – Perspektiva Program, which IOM implemented with USAID support of over $2,000,000.

A key goal of this phase will be handing over the activities to the Government of BiH, thereby facilitating implementation of the program’s exit strategy. Training and capacity building of BiH civil servants working with transition and recruitment offices will ensure full sustainability of activities to provide psychosocial support to discharged military personnel. IOM counselors will continue to provide psycho-social assistance to NATO-Perspektiva Program beneficiaries, with a focus on those living in municipalities affected by the recent floods and landslides.

To date, the U.S. Government has provided more than $1.6 billion in assistance to support economic, democratic and social progress in BiH.

ST