Support for families affected by floods: First vouchers distributed in Fojnica and Kiseljak

The Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Adnan Delić, the Secretary of the Red Cross of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Daniel Tucić, and the UNICEF Representative in BiH, Marc Lucet, today began distributing vouchers to families who suffered material damage to their homes during the October floods.

This aid, totaling 618,800 BAM, will cover 694 families in the Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia cantons.

Families will receive vouchers ranging from 650 to 1,250 BAM, depending on the number of household members. The smallest amount of 650 BAM is intended for single-member households, while households with five members receive 1,250 BAM. Two-member families receive 800 BAM, with an additional 150 BAM for each subsequent member. The vouchers can be used in Bingo markets, either in the families' places of residence or across FBiH, until the end of the year. The vouchers, available in denominations of 50 and 100 BAM, can be spent all at once or over multiple purchases according to the families’ needs.

Minister Delić, accompanied by representatives from UNICEF and the Red Cross, and with the presence of municipal leaders, visited several families in Fojnica and Kiseljak, where the initiative was officially launched.

“Although the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy does not have allocated budget funds for such purposes, we reallocated resources from one of the social protection programs to support families who suffered significant losses. Our goal is to show solidarity and provide tangible, even symbolic assistance, which we consider important, especially for families with children, elderly, and infirm individuals,” emphasized Minister Delić.

Marc Lucet, UNICEF Representative in BiH, highlighted that UNICEF is also supporting on-site psychosocial services, ensuring that families have access to emotional and mental health care needed to overcome the trauma they experienced.

“A detailed post-distribution monitoring process will be conducted to assess satisfaction and ensure the aid reaches those most in need. This will also help identify additional services crucial for the socio-economic recovery of families, paving the way for long-term resilience,” said Lucet.

During the preparatory activities for voucher distribution, the Red Cross of FBiH, in collaboration with the civil protection units of the five municipalities and towns, mapped 694 families with all relevant data about their households.

“For the first time, we created a so-called human map of the population, which provided us with a detailed overview of the needs of 694 families, or households, affected by the floods. This map represents an extremely valuable database for all future projects and activities aimed at supporting the population in these areas. It is particularly important for households with children, elderly, or infirm persons, as it enables targeted and efficient assistance to those who need it most,” emphasized Daniel Tucić, Secretary General of the Red Cross of FBiH.

The distribution of vouchers will continue in the coming days in the areas of Jablanica, Konjic, Fojnica, Kreševo, and Kiseljak.