Open Society Foundations Respond to Floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

The Open Society Foundations are working to provide urgent relief and longer-term support in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in response to the worst flooding there in over a century. Over one million people have been affected by the flooding. Thousands of people are displaced—homes, basic infrastructure, and crops wiped out.

There is a risk of waterborne infectious diseases and, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the threat of further injury through landmines that remain from previous conflicts and have now been dislodged by the flooding. Vulnerable communities such as Roma and people with disabilities are particularly hard-hit. It is estimated the scope of the damage is already billions of euros.

The Open Society Foundations have a long history of involvement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and will continue their commitment during this critical time.

In response to the most urgent needs, the Open Society Foundations have organized relief packages totaling $100,000, including food, disinfection materials, debris disposal tools, and essential medicines to be distributed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A longer-term Flood Recovery Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina will allocate over $600,000 in assistance to the municipalities of Tuzla, Bijeljina, and Zenica in their recovery efforts. It will also strengthen the role of local community participation in the identification of the most urgent recovery needs by encouraging transparency in priority setting and allocation of resources.

In Serbia, Open Society will invest $400,000 in support for longer-term recovery. The Balkans is a major route for migration in Europe, and the destruction of basic infrastructure in Serbia will acutely impact vulnerable migrants. The Open Society Foundations will allocate funding to local civil society organizations to help with recovery, and will work with the State Refugee Council to refurbish asylum-seeker centers destroyed during the floods.

The Open Society Foundations will continue to closely monitor the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and consider ways to offer support for both immediate relief and long-term recovery in the region.

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The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities in more than 100 countries, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education.