It’s Still Raining in the Balkans, But Families Move Forward

This blog post was written by Wendy Brightman, a Red Cross volunteer who deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to assist with cash distribution to families recovering from heavy flooding that occurred last spring. When she arrived a few weeks ago, it was still raining. September rains have continued to bring flooding to the same areas along the swollen rivers. Mirad Fsakovic and his family live in Brcko District—in a two-story home that has been in their family for three generations. As we entered the gate to their garden, the smell of sweet peppers came to us. Mirad was roasting several pounds of them on a grill made from an old washing machine drum. They purchased the peppers from a local farmer with some of the money provided by the Red Cross. We sat on benches near the grill as Mirad explained the night of the flood to us: As the rain pounded, Mirad and his wife could see the water rising in the street, then into their garden and under the doors of their home. They moved to top floor—where their son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter live—and continued to watch the water rise. Selma, 5, awoke to the thunder, rain and water coming up to the second floor balcony. Her parents and grandparents sang songs to her through the night. Selma said that she wasn’t afraid, but had wished she could go swimming and boating in the water. She is only sad that she lost most of her toys — some had been washed away, others were destroyed by mold and mildew. In the morning, the wat...
Source: Red Cross Chat - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Disaster Response International Volunteers bosnia and herzegovina emergency flood Source Type: news