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Thousands of people are housed in refugee camps in and around Bihac in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. A camp has already burned down, people, including many children, stay in military tents during the cold season. The mayor of Bihac, Suhret Fazlic, sent a request for help to all of Europe and drew attention to the difficult situation.
The city of Vienna is now sending more than three tons of relief supplies to Bihac. Mayor Michael Ludwig and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador Kemal Kozaric sent a semi-trailer truck on the 500-kilometer journey on Friday.
“You have to show solidarity”
“Bihac is in a desperate situation, the city is overwhelmed by the large number of refugees. For me, as the mayor of Vienna, it goes without saying that I will help when help is needed. We send those things that people, especially children, need the most: blankets, bedding and jackets. We have to show solidarity in Europe ”, explains Mayor Ludwig.
With the aid supplies, the city of Vienna supports the local authorities in the crisis situation by caring for the people in the camps. A total of 1,200 blanket covers, 800 upholstery covers, 400 sheets, 400 towels, 300 duvet covers and ten pallets with 1,390 kilograms of clothes, blankets, cots and diapers are destined for the Bihac warehouse.
In total, that equates to more than three tons of relief supplies from Vienna. The aid delivery is organized in cooperation with the Bihac city administration. Relief supplies from Vienna are received by the organization “SOS Bihac”, which, as a humanitarian NGO, cares for people in refugee camps.
Caritas praises the Viennese initiative
In a first reaction, Caritas of the Archdiocese of Vienna welcomes the humanitarian aid campaign of the Vienna city government. Klaus Schwertner, Caritas Managing Director of the Archdiocese of Vienna, was in the region last week: “The delivery of aid from Vienna is an encouraging sign and important help for the local population. A three-hour drive from Austria and almost two months after the devastating fire in the Lipa refugee camp, thousands of refugees remain homeless in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The nights are terribly cold. Many people suffer from frostbite on the arms and legs. Food and clothing are urgently needed, the humanitarian situation is dire. “
With this in mind, Schwertner appreciates the Vienna initiative, as well as the help that has already been provided by the federal government. “But anyone who has experienced the situation on the site also knows that a first step has been taken, but more help is urgently needed. Europe cannot stay on the sidelines when human rights are suspended at the EU’s external borders, in Bosnia or, for example, in Greece. “
Family admission is required
Schwertner recalls the most recent final declaration of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference. On Friday, the Austrian bishops once again called for the admission of families who currently still have to wait on the Greek refugee islands, emphasizing: “Securing borders and protecting people must never exclude each other.”
Schwertner says: “If Europe wants to live up to its responsibilities, then in Bosnia-Herzegovina it must finally be a matter of securing a roof over their heads for all. And in the case of Greece, Caritas, like the Austrian bishops, never tires of emphasizing that Austria, like many other European countries, has to host at least 100 families with young children as part of a rescue operation ordered from Greece. “.
This is how Caritas helps in Bosnia: Caritas supports the 2,500 people living alone in Bihac with food, blankets, winter jackets, shoes and simple medical care. Caritas also provides support in the camps in close cooperation with the local Red Cross with hot meals and, for example, a laundry service. In the immediate aftermath of the Lipa fire, another € 120,000 was made available for acute care at short notice. The local population (one fifth live in poverty) was supported, for example, with subsidies for heating.
But the helpers also need help urgently. Therefore, Caritas has opened a donation account at Erste Bank: IBAN AT23 2011 1000 0123 4560, BIC GIBAATWWXXX Password: People on the Run. Online donations: www.caritas.at/balkan
