Bosnia Mourns Flood Victims, Counts Huge Cost

A day of mourning was held in Bosnia on Tuesday for at least 20 deaths caused by the floods that have submerged a significant part of central, eastern and northern areas.

“Almost 950,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been forced from their homes, and directly or indirectly the floods have endangered at least a million and a half people,” the Prime Minister, Vjekoslav Bevanda, said.

Bosnia's state-level government, the Council of Ministers, has freed all donations from abroad of all border taxes.

The authorities estimate that around 100,000 homes and other buildings have been destroyed as well as 230 schools and hospitals.

Areas around the northern towns of Orasje, Bijeljina and Brcko along the banks of the river Sava remained submerged on Tuesday while locals fought to defend embankments and prevent further flooding.

Thousands of people have been evacuated so far in boats and helicopters.

“Since Wednesday, May 14, when the floods paralyzed large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 20,000 people have been evacuated, of which the Armed Forces rescued 6,000,” Anto Jelec of the Army noted, adding that around 1,300 soldiers remain engaged in the mission.

The authorities say they fear the cost of repairing the damage inflicted in the past few days could run into billions of euro.

“We are preparing a plan on how to act after the floods go down,” Bevanda said. “The flooded areas needed to be disinfected and assured against contagion,” he added.

The Federation entity's head of civil protection, Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic, on Monday said funds were running short to help people in the flooded areas, many of whom have lost everything.

He said the country...