Donja Jablanica: Ten months after the floods, life in containers continues

(Patria) - Ten months after the catastrophic floods and rockfalls in Donja Jablanica, life has not yet returned to normal. The ruins bear witness to the scale of the disaster in which 19 people died, and numerous residents still live in container settlements.

Adil Begović and his family are temporarily staying in a container while his new house is being built thanks to the Pomozi.ba association. He says the work is slow, but he hopes they will soon have a roof over their heads, BHRT reports.

Other families are also expecting help. Mersiha Begović and Umija Arfadžan believe that they will receive replacement houses through the European flood recovery program, as their homes were completely destroyed and unsafe for renovation.

The difficult life in the camp is also felt by the Šašić family. Lack of food, clothing, and basic conditions further complicates their daily lives.

"We can't stay here forever. We don't have enough food or clothes," says Melisa Šašić.

Even those who remained in the village are not satisfied. According to Himzo Begović, they received only a part of the construction material, and even basic infrastructure, such as water supply, has not been repaired.

Residents are particularly concerned that the investigation into the quarry, from which rocks fell last year and claimed lives, has not yet made any progress. The Prosecutor's Office of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is not responding to inquiries.

In the meantime, survivors are trying to build their lives anew. They say they are grateful to be alive, but they hope for a better future with the help of institutions and humanitarian organizations.