Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Union rush to aid Bosnia after floods wreak havoc.
Bosnia aimed for EU help after a heavy rainstorm left entire neighbourhoods under water and debris destroyed roads and bridges, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens. Rescue teams from Bosnia’s neighbours and European Union governments were joining steps to clear the rubble and find people still missing from floods and landslides that destroyed parts of the Balkan country.
How did the floods impact Bosnia’s infrastructure and lives?
Officials stated that at least 10 people are still unaccounted for, many of them in the village of Donja Jablanica, in southern Bosnia, which was almost entirely buried in rocks and rubble from a quarry on a hill above. Residents there have stated they heard a thundering rumble and witnessed houses disappear before their eyes.
Luigi Soreca, who leads the EU mission in Bosnia, said that the EU stands with Bosnia and that teams are coming to help. Bosnia is a prospective country for membership in the 27-nation bloc.
Authorities expressed that Croatian rescuers have already arrived while a team from Serbia is expected to be deployed in the afternoon, followed by a Slovenian team with dogs. Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Czechia and Turkey have also presented help, a government statement stated.
How has the flooding affected Bosnia’s local elections?
Sunday 06 Oct is the date of a local election in Bosnia. Election authorities have delayed voting in the flood-hit regions, but the flooding has surpassed the vote across the country. Ismeta Bucalovic, a resident of Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital, stated
“We are all overwhelmed by these flooding events. We all think only about that.”
Disadvantaged and ethnically divided, Bosnia has laboured to recover after the brutal war in 1992-95. The country is afflicted by political bickering and corruption, stalling its EU bid.
