Bosnia Herzegovina
Families receive rotary cultivators from CRS. Photo by CRS staff
In 1992, Yugoslavia broke apart in wars that saw intense inter-ethnic violence, atrocities and bloodshed. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, an estimated 250,000 people were killed, more than 200,000 wounded and 13,000 permanently disabled. By the time the war ended in 1995, more than half the population of 4.4 million had been displaced. Fifteen years after the war ended, for many of its Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim), Serb and Croat citizens, Bosnia remains a country divided. With high unemployment, divisive ethnic politics, ineffective government structures, and more than 46,800 families still displaced from their pre-war homes and communities, Bosnia-Herzegovina is a nation struggling to overcome the wounds of war.
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Protecting Young Women From Human Traffickers
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Stats
| Population: | 4,622,163 (July 2011 est.) |
| Size: | 19,767 sq. mi.; slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| People Served: | 29,241 (2011 est.) |
History
During the siege of Sarajevo, CRS provided food, water, medicine and other life-sustaining assistance to the city's trapped population. Following the war, our work focused on post-war reconstruction and household economy recovery. Today, CRS works with local organizations creating permanent housing solutions for war-displaced people, raising teenagers' awareness about the dangers of human trafficking, and encouraging young people to take a more active part in the life of their communities. In this war-haunted country, CRS also supports the efforts of Bosnians who are promoting reconciliation between and among the country's three communities.
Partners
The Association for Parent School Cooperation was established in 2005 as a result of Catholic Relief Services' six-year Parent-School Partnership project. Comprised of parents, teachers, school administrators and students working together, its purpose is to advocate for education reform in individual schools and at the national policy level. With 170 parent-school councils across Bosnia-Herzegovina belonging to its network, APSC's extensive reach gives CRS access to secondary schools for our counter-trafficking work and our efforts to promote inter-ethnic reconciliation among Bosnia's post-war generation.
