STATE OF EMERGENCY (Joint declaration)

JOINT DECLARATION ESTABLISHING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITH THE AIM TO SAVE HEALTH AND LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES

“A humanitarian emergency is an event or series of events that represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area” (Humanitarian coalition, 2013).

We, medical and non-governmental organisations, declare officially from today the state of emergency in humanitarian crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to immediately save health and lives of thousands of refugees currently surviving in the country.

On-going humanitarian crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina caome to its new dramatic phase: the winter. We consider that it is now the last moment to prevent harder consequences for human lives by declaring from today the state of emergency in humanitarian crisis.

We thus appeal the government of Bosnia and Hercegovina, the European Union and United Nations (UN) to join our movement, to declare the state of emergency in humanitarian crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to use all human and material resources necessary to immediately save human lives.

Our declaration is based on the following main facts:

• Number of refugees in Bosnia and Hercegovina is constantly growing. The national authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina detected the arrival of 21,201 refugees and migrants to the country between 1 January 2018 and 31 October 2018 (source: Inter-agency Refugee/Migrant Situation Report October 2018). This increase follows a large increase from September 2018- after a relatively stable four-month period between April and August 2018 in which an average of 2,329 arrivals were detected each month (with a low of 2,293 and a high of 2,489). It is estimated that - at least- between 4,500 and 6,000 refugees and migrants remain in the country in need of humanitarian assistance at various locations, in particular in Una-Sana Canton (USC).

• Only 1/3 of refugees got proper accommodation/shelter. UN agencies state the following in Inter-agency Refugee/Migrant Situation Report October 2018: “While occupancy rates fluctuate on a daily basis, as of 31 October 2,064 spaces were available across six locations in Bosnia and Hercegovina, not including safe accommodation and hostels made available to a limited number of particularly vulnerable cases”. It can also be noticed that among the 2,064 spaces mentioned, 450 spaces have regular public health control. In other words, it means that almost only 30% of the refugees get proper accommodation. Lastly, report does not mention hundreds and hundreds of men, women and children who get into winter, sleeping in wetlands, in a bare ground, covered only with polyvinyl. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, -10° Celsius is a normal winter temperature and majority of refugees in the country get in Bosnian without proper shelter or no shelter at all.

• Healthcare is one of the most dramatic sectors of humanitarian refugee crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (along with shelter). Despite what is prescribed by the law and what is mentioned in different official reports (“refugees are incorporated into primary healthcare”), primary health care is still not allowed to refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina. UN agencies’ report on healthcare from October 2018 (source: Inter-agency Refugee/Migrant Situation Report October 2018) contains exactly 1071 words but among them no one basic parameter of healthcare (no mortality, no morbidity and not any other medical parameter such as any epidemic). The noticed total number of medical check-ups mentioned in report (3580) for whole Bosnia and Herzegovina is unrealistic for such big population with special needs. Health care of refugees actually nearly does not exist, especially not primary health care and public health control. That is why we can see volunteer medical staff helping refugees in the middle of street, in fields or in inns. This situation is dramatic and represent an absolute emergency.

• West Balkans' state Bosnia and Herzegovina (3,5 million population) belongs to category of so called “post-traumatic societies”. Unemployment rate is 35.33% (source: Tradings Economics), corruption index 38 (source: Transparency International). Health care system in the country is still in development after war in the 1990’s. Conflict 1991-1995 in the region produced more than 74.000 uprooted civilians (refugees and IDPs) (source: UNHCR). That is why Bosnia and Herzegovina is itself the subject of humanitarian, economic and political help from the United Nations/European Union for twenty years. By consequence, despite the presence of different UN agencies and humanitarian organisations in the country, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a too fragile state to absorb and adequately face properly refugees’ flux of the new “Balkan route” which started in January 2018. Less than 10% of total number incoming refugees and migrants are properly treated. Reports given by UN agencies/national authorities very often underestimate the needs/figures. A dangerous humanitarian crisis appeared in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the last months, as civil society is constantly warning. Today, it reached a peak and a dangerous point of potential non-return if nothing is implemented and state of humanitarian crisis not officially declared.

Hundreds of refugees are currently without shelter and health care and are getting into the Bosnian winter. It is now the very last moment to activate humanitarian crisis cluster by establishing the state of emergency in humanitarian crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Written in November 2018)