A Drop in the Ocean has been present in the country since December last year, assisting with distributions and organising activities. With the opening of an office and the registration with the authorities in place, we can further assist displaced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The very act of obtaining a decision on registration opens new opportunities in our work, gives us equal participation in applying for various projects, all for the purpose of quality assistance to people in need,” explains our Operations Coordinator Jasmina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered a transit country that many travel through on their way to the EU and other European countries. Throughout 2020, the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) registered more than 16 000 refugees and other migrants who transited or hoped to transit through the country.
At the end of March, when the UNCHR last updated its figures, there were about 6734 refugees and other migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At present, A Drop in the Ocean organises computer classes and distributions in the Ušivac refugee camp outside Sarajevo. There are currently around 530 displaced persons in the camp, mainly families with small children and unaccompanied minors.
In January, we collaborated with the Red Cross on a distribution of 1000 sleeping bags in the Lipa refugee camp close to the city of Bihac.
The Lipa camp was opened in April 2020 as an emergency tent camp but was in December the same year set on fire, which left more than 1000 people stranded outdoors. Heated tents were installed by the Bosnian Red Cross in January, donated by the Ministry of Defence, but living conditions remain extremely precarious. Between 1100 and 1300 displaced persons reside in the camp.
“The opening of the office in Sarajevo will make it easier for A Drop in the Ocean to successfully implement all their projects in this region,” says Jasmina.
“We can now provide help to the other cantons, especially to the camp close to Bihac”.
A Drop in the Ocean’s new office in Sarajevo is located at Jošanička 55, Vogošća. Working hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.