Sanitation of 29 housing units completed within the EU Flood Recovery Programme

 

Work on the sanitation of 29 priority housing units, financed by the EU Flood Recovery Programme, within the first phase of housing stock sanitation, has been completed. Thanks to EU funds, three families from Maglaj, eight families from Doboj and Banja Luka, and 10 families from Bijeljina can now return to their homes, the EU Delegation to BiH announced, reports the BiH news agency Patria.
Work on the sanitation of the facilities was completed in less than two weeks from the start of the works, and included renovation of floors and walls, replacement of external and internal carpentry, and repair of roofs and facades.

As stated by Andy McGuffie, spokesperson for the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Special Representative. These are the homes of 29 families who, according to the records of competent social welfare centres, belong to a particularly vulnerable category.

- We are happy that we have enabled them to return home and thus contributed to the normalization of their living conditions, which is ultimately the goal of the EU Flood Recovery Programme - said McGuffie.

One of the families whose house was renovated with EU funds is the family of Slaviša Lazić from Bijeljina.

- This is more than I expected and more than I could have dreamed of - says Lazić, who shares his home with his wife, son, and elderly mother.

- I must also praise the speed and quality of the construction work. As far as my family is concerned, we will now focus on buying furniture and continue with life in what, from what I can see, is a completely new house - adds Lazić.

The first phase of sanitation of housing units includes a total of 650 priority facilities, and work has begun on about 350 units. The selection of an additional 300 priority facilities is underway, in close cooperation with representatives of local authorities.

Within the EU Flood Recovery Programme, an additional 1,200 beneficiaries will be selected for the renovation of housing units who applied for the public call by October 7 in the municipalities of Bijeljina, Šamac, Doboj, Maglaj, Orašje, Odžak, Brčko District of BiH, and Domaljevac.

- In close cooperation with representatives of UNDP, our implementation partner, and competent authorities, our intention is to process applications as soon as possible to start work as soon as possible and help as many people as possible return home before winter - concludes McGuffie.

A second public call will be published soon and will focus on the sanitation of housing units in Tuzla, Sanski Most, Živinice, Zenica, Banja Luka, Prijedor, Modriča, and Laktaši. Overall, the EU Flood Recovery Programme aims to renovate a total of 4,000 housing units damaged in the floods, or provide direct assistance in returning about 14,000 people to their homes.