7,000 people still in collective centers in BiH 18 years after the war

On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, the Minister for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Adil Osmanović, sent a message stating that today is a special date that reminds us that BiH is still facing the problem of refugees, displaced persons, and returnees 18 years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

- Unfortunately, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the last war, there are still about 113,000 displaced persons waiting for their homes, of whom 7,000 are housed in collective centers with very difficult living conditions. Additionally, this problem is complicated by the estimate of 83,000 new displaced persons, as a consequence of the natural disaster caused by heavy rainfall, river floods, and landslides - the statement said, reports Patria.

A large number of people expect assistance in resolving their housing needs and especially the sustainability of return and reintegration into the returnee community, which means they are still facing the problem of realizing basic human rights.

Both the Federal Government and the Ministry for Displaced Persons and Refugees are focused on resolving this issue, especially when it comes to allocating budget funds for this purpose, which is certainly an indicator of the attitude of other levels of government towards the adopted Revised Strategy for the Implementation of Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Ministry stated.

Great thanks are extended to all who contribute to resolving the needs and problems in this area, such as the European Union, the USA, UNHCR, international non-governmental organizations, the Government of Saudi Arabia, the Government of Turkey, the OPEC Fund, and others.

- There is still a lot of work ahead of us for all levels of government in both entities, in order to create conditions for every citizen to be able to freely return to their pre-war residences, to be provided with protection, to work on the process of reconciliation, criminal prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes, and to ensure conditions for a dignified life and work for returnees - said the statement of the Federal Ministry for Displaced Persons and Refugees.

Otherwise, World Refugee Day was established by a decision of the UN General Assembly in 2000. As stated by the UN Refugee Agency, the number of people forced to leave their homes due to war or persecution has exceeded 50 million, for the first time since World War II, reports Patria.