100 Bosnians Still Homeless One Year After Floods

A foreign diplomat who is familiar with the recovery effort told BIRN on condition of anonymity that at least 100 people who were displaced by massive floods and landslides in May last year are still living in public shelters.

Over 100 more are also dependent on non-residential help, the diplomat estimated.

"This does not, however, mean that this is the final number," he said.

"A number of local governments have shut down temporary shelters due to the cost involved, regardless of need, so there could be more people who have made private arrangements," he added.

The overall economic impact of what was Bosnia's biggest natural disaster in recent history, including damage to infrastructure, houses, businesses and farms, was estimated to have reached 2.04 billion euro, or the equivalent of nearly 15 per cent of the country's GDP.

According to data compiled by local governments and international aid organizations, the floods and landslides killed 25 people and temporarily displaced some 90,000, many of whom took up temporary refuge in public shelters or moved in with relatives or friends. 

Around 2,000 homes were completely destroyed and more than 40,000 were damaged in the disaster, which affected almost a fifth of Bosnia's territory.

Divided and dysfunctional local administrations made the reconstruction efforts even more complicated. 

The international community sprang into action to help, but much of the 800 million euro that was pledged for reconstruction efforts at an urgent donors' conference in August 2014 was left unused.

Local authorities even failed to prepare action plans for reconstruction efforts and international organizations and donor countries refused to transfer funds without appropriate...