To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of the flood damage in Bosnia-Herzegovina in May 2014; whether they have made an assessment of the proportion of the flood damage covered by insurance; what amount of external emergency funds has been spent; and whether additional European Union assistance is available.
Answered on
24 October 2014
A comprehensive needs assessment of the post-disaster recovery requirements stemming from this year’s floods was carried out by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU, the UN and the World Bank supported this process by providing resources and technical support. The assessment reflects damages, effects, impact and needs across a range of sectors including agriculture, education, health, public services, housing, transportation and energy. It estimates that the economic impact of the floods was £1.62bn. A European Commission hosted donors’ conference in July raised £810m towards the rehabilitation effort.
The EU assistance to the flood response is currently €42m, plus €1m from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which has gone to rebuild schools, houses and other community infrastructure. An additional tranche of €43m is due to be released to cover flood prevention and provide more housing assistance.
In addition to a £1.03m commitment for immediate humanitarian assistance, the British Government is due to release a further £1m to the flood response work through the UNDP. We will continue to work closely with the EU, the UN and other international organisations to assess what further help might be given to help Bosnia Herzegovina recover from the impact of the floods.
The British Government has not made an assessment of the proportion of damage covered by insurance.