Ahead of the Conference: Shelter and Jobs Are Priorities

We managed to change the initial image in the world that there were floods in Serbia, while in BiH there was just some rain, we dispelled fears that the European Union would show greater solidarity towards our neighbours than towards BiH, wrote Zlatko Lagumdžija, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, in his first blog, reports the Patria news agency.

He reflects on the past 50-odd days since the catastrophic floods, on everything that has been done, but also on what lies ahead in the next ten days until the donor conference in Brussels on July 16. The estimated flood damage, prepared by representatives of the UN, the World Bank and the European Commission, is around 4 billion KM, and Lagumdžija writes that the greatest damages and losses are in the economy and employment, 1.5 billion KM, and in the housing sector, 886 million KM, mostly in private ownership.

- Total needs, with which we go before donors, both urgent and long-term, amount to almost 3.5 billion KM. The greatest needs are again in employment, 1 billion KM, and housing, 836 million KM. Shelter and jobs destroyed in the flood, on the landslide, by winter, are just priorities on a long list of needs - writes Lagumdžija.

He also presents data that in 81 municipalities in BiH, 90,000 people were displaced, and 25,000 households suffered damage in agriculture. 43,000 houses and apartments were flooded, and 1,952 were destroyed by landslides. About 63,500 jobs are at risk, and 3,000 have been lost.

- We lack many things today, but most of all time, work and responsibility. It is time for unity and solidarity, not for divisions and quarrels. It is time for solving, not creating problems. It is time for work, not for talk - concluded Lagumdžija in his blog today, reports Patria.