How Covid-19 is affecting Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia has closed its border with Serbia and restricted access to the country for all foreign nationals, reports Emerging Europe.
A nationwide curfew is in force from 6pm to 5am.
All restaurants, bars, cafes and other commercial enterprises apart from food shops and chemists are closed.
Bosnians aged under 18 and over 65 have been forbidden to travel around the country. All kindergartens, schools and universities are closed throughout the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A nationwide state of emergency over coronavirus was declared on March 17; borders with Serbia and Montenegro were closed; public gatherings banned; and all persons entering Bosnia-Herzegovina must by law enter quarantine for 14 days.

IPSIA, an Italian NGO that has been working in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1997 and is now helping migrants and refugees, warned that migrants in squats and improvised camps could end up living in dangerous conditions – reports the Balkan Insight.

“Some 2500 refugees do not even have a place in temporary reception centres in the country. This means they often resort to living in squalid, unsanitary conditions with little access to running water, let alone disinfectant or health care,” says Exit News. “Many migrants do not know about the current restrictions on movement and risk being trapped in inadequate and unsafe conditions for the foreseeable future.”

Greetings from Dalibor

Field country manager Dalibor Kojic has worked with MWB since 2009. He said, “Bosnia-Herzegovina is the least evangelised country in Europe, but believers, even though they are few, are strong in faith. The message of the gospel and revival is very needed, to open eyes to see the beauty of God. More than anything, this country needs people who will pray and fast for it and seek the outpouring of the Spirit to heal the land. Listening to our church partners is very important and it is important for us to help strengthen them. From both sides, we share the same vision, we have a lot of experience and hope to find humble servants to join us in our mission.

"Both the families we serve, and our team, who are brave and tireless, are fighting relentlessly with a holistic approach to restore our nation. It seems like it will not get much better soon, but we do not look merely at the physical reality; we look with a heart of faith. We are to trust that the One who has started the good work in us and around us, fulfils His promise. Our Mission is not about barely surviving, but with deep desire and compassion, making people’s lives better.

"Thank you for contributing in bringing change and hope into many lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Connected by love, we are all craftsmen in God’s work.”

Haunted by the war

The past still haunts Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the brutal conflict in the early 1990s left the country’s infrastructure and economy in ruins, and many people deeply traumatised. An estimated 400,000 people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Deep ethnic and political divisions still tear the nation apart, reflected in and exacerbated by its complicated system of government. At our Soup Kitchen in Glamoc, however, we are overjoyed to see Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks becoming friends and sharing their lives. They are elderly war refugees who have settled in Glamoc from 46 different municipalities, and many of them are broken after losing loved ones and their homes in the war. We provide them with emotional and spiritual support, as well as practical help.

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s unemployment rate (25%) is the highest in Europe and the third highest in the world. 15% of citizens cannot afford basic services, such as food, clean water, fuel or healthcare. We support families living in poverty in Mostar, Bugojno and Tuzla, shining the light of Christ’s love into a country where only 0.01% of the population are evangelical. Through our emotional and practical support, we help people overcome the past and move toward a better future.