Bevanda – Goldstein: World Bank Support in Reconstruction of Flood-Affected Areas

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Vjekoslav Bevanda talked with Ellen Goldstein, World Bank Director for South East Europe, and on that occasion he thanked for the sympathies and solidarity expressed regarding the catastrophic floods which hit Bosnia and Herzegovina with devastating aftermaths, human tools and damages of caused to property and infrastructure. 

Chairman Bevanda informed Director Goldstein of data available at moment, saying that these are just preliminary data. He said that more than 950,000 people were temporarily moved from their property, and more than 100 thousand houses and residential buildings with over 230 schools and health care buildings were devastated. He mentioned especially the problem of considerable number of landslides, and damage to farms, industrial facilities and transport infrastructure.

Chairman Bevanda conveyed special thanks for prompt and efficient response of the World Bank, European Union and United Nations in carrying out activities in assessment of flood recovery needs. Expert teams have already arrived to BIH, preparing the assessment. Their work, funded from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery grant, will be presented in the form of report to BIH authorities on July 18, 2014.

Director Goldstein expressed, on behalf of the World Bank Group, sympathies with people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She informed Chairman Bevanda of a possibility to reallocate funds within the existing World Bank projects, which may be reallocated to priority reconstruction activities in the flood-affected areas.

Chairman Bevanda and Director Goldstein discussed a possibility for BIH to send an application to the World Bank for preparation of an emergency flood recovery loan to fund reconstruction, purchase of goods and services and technical studies. Over USD 50 million might be committed for such a project, while the advance payment to amount of USD 10 million could be available shortly after the application is prepared.

Chairman Bevanda thanked to the World Bank for the support it expends to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The meeting was attended by Anabela Abreau, Head of World Bank Office in BIH.

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