The EU Floods Recovery Programme (“Programme”) was launched to restore normal living conditions in local communities and ensure that the aid reaches the most vulnerable members of the affected communities in the aftermath of the May floods. Funds are being used to restore public services and infrastructure, reconstruct housing units for the most vulnerable areas, and for social and economic recovery of local communities. The value of the overall programme is 43.52 million EUR of which 42.24 million was provided by the European Union. The programme is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Thanks to the Programme, the new school year for 2,300 students of the High School Centre in Doboj started on September 22. The centre was heavily damaged in the devastating floods and rehabilitated through the Programme. The total EU investment in the centre was 2.3 million KM. The High School Centre Doboj houses four schools: the school of hospitality administration; the school of economics; the school of electric engineering; and, the school of technical sciences. It represents the largest facility rehabilitated through the Programme. Following the opening of the kindergarten “Majke Jugović”, the High School Centre is the second education institution in Doboj that has been able to resume work thanks to EU assistance.

The shocking images of the Health Care Centre in Maglaj, where floodwaters quickly reached the second floor, travelled around the world in May 2014. The images today are significantly different. The Programme is financing fast-paced construction works to rehabilitate the centre and early completion is expected. This will enable the citizens of Maglaj to access their health care services in the shortest possible time, a situation only rendered possible thanks to EU assistance.

UNDP, the implementer of the programme, is satisfied with the progress of works worth nearly 1 million KM that began in early September. “The works are organised in three shifts on a daily basis. Having in mind that the pace of such works depends on weather conditions, we have to be patient and ensure that the quality of works is not compromised“, says Siniša Ubiparipović, Head of UNDP Doboj.

On September 25, the Head of EU Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Peter Sorensen, officially opened the “Šamac” Primary School in Šamac, which has been rehabilitated under the Programme. The school suffered severe damage during the floods. The EU-financed restoration works included electrical re-cabling, installation of new heating and sanitary systems, new flooring, joinery replacements as well as refurbishment of walls and construction of a thermo-insulated facade. “Without EU assistance after the catastrophic floods in May, repairing the damages would have been impossible,” said Director of “Šamac” Primary School Slobodan Čeliković. “We will always remember the generous gesture from the EU.”

The total value of EU investment for the school rehabilitation was 343,038.92 EUR (670,925.82 BAM).

“Through the EU Floods Recovery Programme, the European Union is helping to address the most important thing for people whose lives were hit by the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina – returning to normal life as quickly as possible. We are financing rebuilding of key infrastructure such as schools and health centres and enabling the restoration of vital public services,” said Ambassador Sorensen.

The total Programme budget for rehabilitating public facilities in Šamac comprises 2,6 million EUR (5,15 million BAM). This budget covers rehabilitation of three schools, public administration buildings, and the Health Care Centre as well as the reconstruction of the Centre for Social Welfare. Furthermore, up to 300 flood-affected private dwellings are foreseen to be rehabilitated in the area using EU funds.

On October 2, classes started again in the reconstructed building of the branch school in Gomjenica, near Prijedor, ending the bus travel to the central school for 110 pupils in six classes, from grade one to grade five. The building, which suffered significant damage during the floods, has been reconstructed as part of the Programme. “The branch school building has been reconstructed as a part of the EU Flood Recovery Programme, so that now 110 pupils have excellent conditions to work in and achieve better results, and, therefore, we owe special gratitude to the European Union for the reconstruction of this facility”, said Sanja Munjiza, the Principal of the Branko Ćopić Primary School. The cost of the reconstruction was 138,500 BAM (70,850 EUR), and the works included replacement of doors, windows and floors, installation of new sanitary facilities, reconstruction of walls and the roof, as well as a new façade.

“Seeing this school reopened is yet another example of how the European Union’s Floods Recovery Programme is helping the communities to regain access to vital public services after the floods, and how the financial support from the citizens of the European Union is making a difference in the everyday lives of the flood-affected people. Our programme is achieving similar results across Bosnia and Herzegovina, with works on 33 public facilities already finalised and made operational to serve communities in areas which suffered flood damage,” said Mr. Giulio Zanni, the Head of Banja Luka Office of the EU Delegation to BiH.

On October 17, Dr Daviddi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, officially opened the Mixed Secondary School Maglaj and Edhem Mulabdić High School in Maglaj, which suffered severe damage during the floods. Both have been reconstructed as part of the Programme. The EU-financed restoration works included electrical re-cabling, new heating systems, new sanitary facilities, new flooring, joinery replacement, refurbishment of walls, thermo-insulated facades and roofs. The total value of EU investment for the rehabilitation of the schools was 339,733.78 EUR (664,461.51 KM). „This EU project on our school made happy more than 3,000 persons – out of which 1,000 students, some 2,000 parents and approximately 100 teachers, and this figure will increase from year to year. To invest in education, means to invest in the future of the state, which EU country members understood long ago. I hope that in Bosnia and Herzegovina we will also soon understand this and stop perceiving education as a consumer category,” said Mixed Secondary School Maglaj Principal Ermin Tankovic.

This assistance is part of the funds that the European Union pledged at the donor conference in Brussels in July. The activities of the EU Floods Recovery Programme focus on reconstruction of 4,000 housing units for approximately 14,000 residents, rehabilitation of key public services and infrastructure (including schools, medical facilities, water supply and sewers, and smaller roads and bridges) at 50 sites, as well as providing assistance to retain and generate around 2,000 jobs in flood-affected areas.