BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA/ FLOODS 15 April 2004

The Federation’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 181 countries.

In Brief

This Information Bulletin (no. 02/2004) is being issued for information only. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time.

For further information specifically related to this operation please contact: · National Society - RCSBiH Chair person Ms Sadzida Rasidagic, Email: [email protected], Phone: ++ 387 33 269 930, Fax: ++ 387 33 200 148; · Slobodanka Curic, DPP sub-regional coordinator, Regional delegation Budapest Email: [email protected] [email protected] Phone: +387 65 665 747 · Delegation contact name: Frans Lommers, the Federation Representative, Email: [email protected], Phone: ++ 387 33 666 009, Fax: ++ 387 33 666 010; · Sune Follin, DM delegate, Regional Delegation for Central Europe, Email: [email protected] Phone: 361 2483315, · Regional Department contact name: Erja Reinikainen, Regional Officer, Europe Department, Email:,[email protected] Phone: 41 22 730 43 19, Fax: 41 22 733 03 95

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation’s website at http://www.ifrc.org

Floods in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Information Bulletin no. 02 2

The Situation It has stopped raining in Bosnia and Herzegovina today (Thursday) and the weather forecast says that there will not be rain on Friday. However, rain is expected again during the weekend.

Banja Luka, Prijedor, Mrkonjic Grad and Semberija-Majevica regions The water level in the municipalities of Srbac, Laktasi, Celinac, Prijedor, Jezera, Modrica, Gradiska is still high. The water level of the rivers Una, Sava and Drina is rising.

The worst situation is in Srbac , where the rivers Vrbas and Sava flooded 10, 000 hectares of fields and 400 houses.

The River Sava is a border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to help Bosnia and Herzegovina and save the settlements on both sides along the river, Croatia let the water from the River Sava flow into the Lonjsko field near the town of Kutina. This action sized down the level of the river near the town of Gradiska.

The River Sava has already flooded 1,200 houses in Srpski/Bosanski Brod. The big problems in this area are neglected channels and mine fields. The water moved mines from already known mine fields, making the situation even worse.

The River Sava flooded 400 houses in Srbac. Food and drinking water has been distributed to the population by boats. The level of the river is already 920 cm, 200 cm more than yesterday.

The military of Republika Srpska offered blankets to the Civil Protection. The Red Cross suggested that the blankets should be distributed to the places along the River Sava, where further flooding is expected (Samac, Srpski/Bosanski Brod, Modrica, Bijeljina).

The Government of Republika Srpska gave 1, 000 food parcels to the Civil Protection. These parcels will be distributed to the population through the Red Cross branches.

The road running through Banja Luka – Celinac – Kotor Varos – Teslic has been closed for a few hours, due to the landslides and flooded parts of the road.

The release of the water from the “Bocac” hydroelectric power plant decreased from 700m3/ sec to 550 m3/ sec.

The level of the River Sana in Prijedor municipality is 445 cm. Five hundred houses, partially flooded, are surrounded by the water. There is no electricity. The underground waters are the additional problem. The water from the city water network is polluted, so the water-cistern trucks distribute drinking water to the inhabitants.

A state of emergency has been proclaimed this morning in Modrica and Gradiska. The centre of Modrica town is flooded. The River Bosna broke the dikes and flooded 250 houses, out of which 150 were where displaced people lived. Fifty families have been evacuated and are being accommodated in the primary school, where the local Red Cross branch is taking care of them. Blankets, food and hyg iene items are needed. The level of the River Sava in Gradiska is 730 cm.

There have been three landslides on the road between Modrica and Banja Luka.

The rivers Lukavac and Gnjica flooded ten houses in Bijeljina.

So far, around 2,500 houses have been flooded in Republika Srpska Entity. 30% of the affected population have been evacuated from their homes. The evacuated population is accommodated with relatives. Similar accommodation has been found for 50 Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) families from Modrica, as the living conditions in the school where they had been accommodated upon evacuation was very poor.

Floods in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Information Bulletin no. 02 3

Una-Sana Canton The worst situations are in Kljuc, Sanski Most and Bosanska Krupa. Six settlements of the municipality Kljuc, 200 houses in Sanski Most and a few settlements in Bosanska Krupa are flooded.

The road between Sanica and Sanski Most has been closed, due to the landslides.

Zenica – Doboj Canton In Zenica, Zepce and Zavidovici the water went back to the river banks. It is still difficult in Maglaj, where the River Bosna flooded a lot of houses. The road between Maglaj and Zavidovici has been closed.

Srednja Bosna Canton The worst situation is in Travnik, where 20,000 people are affected by the floods. It is difficult in Vitez, Bugojno, Gornji and Donji Vakuf and Jajce. The schools are closed and there is no electricity or telephone communication. In a few places the landslides damaged the houses, including one which was completely destroyed.

Sarajevo Canton The River Zeljeznica spilled over the riverbanks taking away a bridge, which was the only connection with the town. Around 50 families from three settlements remained cut off.

Posavina and Hercegovina-Neretva Canton Both cantons are in a state of alert. If the level of the River Sava continues to rise, a state of emergency will be proclaimed in this canton as well.

The water in the artificial lake of Jablanica (close to Mostar) is at its critical level of 270 m. The hydroelectric power plant has to release the water from the dam , so Mostar is expecting to have a problem with a flooding wave.

Red Cross Activities The representatives of the Red Cross are involved in all the activities of the Civil Protection in the affected areas. Disaster Preparedness (DP) coordinators in the affected regions and cantons are coordinating work with the Civil Protection at the municipal level. Around 360 Red Cross volunteers are helping with the evacuation and distribution of water and food to the affected population. The Emergency Response Team, with rubber boats from the Regional Red Cross branch of Srbinje/Foca, has been put at disposal to the Civil Protection.

The Red Cross has so far distributed: · 500 jerry cans to Srbac, 50 to Laktasi and 150 to Gradiska · 30 food parcels, 20 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Modrica · 20 food parcels, 10 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Vukosavlje · 10 food parcels, 10 kg of detergent, 200 m2 of plastic sheeting to Srpski/Bosanski Brod · 100 food parcels, 100 hygiene parcels, 200 blankets and water -purification pills to Srednja Bosna Canton · 50 food parcels, 20 hygiene parcels and 100 blankets to Una-Sana Canton · 50 food parcels, 50 hygiene parcels, 20 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes to Zenica-Doboj Canton · 100 food parcels, 100 blankets and 30 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes to Tuzla Canton · 50 food parcels and 30 hygiene parcels to Hercegovina-Neretva Canton · 1,800 blankets are expected to come from the RC branches situated in the south of the country.

Entity Red Cross Secretary Generals and DP co-ordinators are making an assessment of the affected area. Red Cross in Gradiska is in a permanent contact with the Croatian Red Cross branches situated on the other side of the River Sava.

As the level of the River Drina is rising, it has been suggested to the R ed Cross branches situated along the River Drina (border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro) to do the same with their colleagues from the Serbian Red Cross.

Floods in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Information Bulletin no. 02 4

The first assessment showed that the immediate needs are: · jerry cans · drinking water · rubber boots · food · hyg iene items · diapers for children and adults

The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina has no more relief items in its stock.

All International Federation Operations seek to adhere to the Code of Conduct and are committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org For longer-term programmes, please refer to the Federation’s Annual Appeal.

Click here to return to the title page or contact information.