Clean-up begins in flood-ridden Balkans
- 10 years ago
The clean-up process in the flood-ridden Balkans has begun in earnest.
In Obrenavac – the worst-hit town in Serbia – police have called on some house owners and renters to assist with clearing away debris, worried the stagnant water will encourage the spread of disease.
People have not yet been allowed to return to live in their homes.
“There will be no more life here in the next two months,” said one home owner. “We help each other. I’m sleeping on a hill at my friend’s place. This here is all I have… It’s all I own now.”
The floods caused as many as 120 landslides and widespread damage to houses in the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the surrounding area.
Those who lost everything in the 1995 Bosnian War now find themselves in a similarly grim situation.
Crops have been destroyed and livelihoods ruined.
“What can I say?” asks Mirsanda Sandzic as she stands in front of rows of ruined plants.
“See for yourself, the damage is huge. The road has disappeared and the roses are completely destroyed.”
In a show of solidarity for its former compatriots, Macedonia has held an aid concert in the capital city Skopje.
Some of the country’s top performers participated in the show, which aims to raise money to help the relief effort.
In Obrenavac – the worst-hit town in Serbia – police have called on some house owners and renters to assist with clearing away debris, worried the stagnant water will encourage the spread of disease.
People have not yet been allowed to return to live in their homes.
“There will be no more life here in the next two months,” said one home owner. “We help each other. I’m sleeping on a hill at my friend’s place. This here is all I have… It’s all I own now.”
The floods caused as many as 120 landslides and widespread damage to houses in the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the surrounding area.
Those who lost everything in the 1995 Bosnian War now find themselves in a similarly grim situation.
Crops have been destroyed and livelihoods ruined.
“What can I say?” asks Mirsanda Sandzic as she stands in front of rows of ruined plants.
“See for yourself, the damage is huge. The road has disappeared and the roses are completely destroyed.”
In a show of solidarity for its former compatriots, Macedonia has held an aid concert in the capital city Skopje.
Some of the country’s top performers participated in the show, which aims to raise money to help the relief effort.