Sarajevo – IOM and the Qatar Charity signed an agreement on 29 January 2019 for USD 364,050 in support of the response to the refugee and migrant situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

The Agreement was signed on Tuesday at the UN House in Sarajevo by Faisal Rashid A. T. Alfehaida, the Assistant of the General Director for Operations and International Partnership of Qatar Charity, and Dražan Rozić, the IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina Emergency Response Coordinator.   

The funds will be used to address the need for expanded accommodation capacities and humanitarian assistance for some 5,000 migrants and asylum seekers in the country. 

“This generous contribution will allow IOM to further improve the humanitarian conditions in the temporary accommodation centres for migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, at the same time, support local communities and municipalities hosting migrants on their territory,” said Peter Van der Auweraert, IOM Chief of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sub-Regional Coordinator for Western Balkans.  

The project aims to improve the living and security conditions in the temporary reception centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular focus on the Ušivak temporary reception centre in Hadžići Municiaplity, near Sarajevo. 

“While IOM is currently accommodating some 4,500 persons, this new support is crucial as we are expecting the number of persons to increase during the spring. Meanwhile, there is also a critical need to improve conditions in the current centres,” noted Rozic of IOM.  

Planned activities include improvement of the existing infrastructure and expansion of the current capacity of the centres, complementary to the support already provided by the European Union. Small interventions will also be realized in support of local communities hosting refugees and migrants. 

“Qatar Charity is proud to start this cooperation with IOM, improving the humanitarian support and conditions for the migrants and refugees currently staying in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Faisal Rashid A. T. Alfehaida, of the Qatar Charity. 

For more information please contact Peter Van der Auweraert at IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tel: +41798336424, Email: pvanderauweaert@iom.int; or Edita Selimbegović, Tel: +387 33 293 713, Email: eselimbegovic@iom.int