History of Country

War-Torn Land

Bosnia emerged from three years of bloody inter-ethnic war in 1996 faced with a huge reconstruction effort. Widespread atrocities were committed during the war, and an estimated 250 thousand people were killed. Over one million people were internally displaced and almost 1.5 million people fled the country.

Devastation & Recovery

Bosnia-Herzegovina is among the poorest countries in Europe. Per capita income has halved since the war and unemployment is endemic. While the rebuilding of homes, schools and infrastructure has begun, people's lives remain shattered by the loss of livelihoods and ongoing displacement.

Bosnia's main problem is high unemployment; vulnerable groups often face an uncertain future without adequate support. There is also an acute housing shortage. Thousands of refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have returned to find their homes either destroyed, or occupied.

Islamic Relief's History in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thousands of Bosnians are trying to rebuild their lives after war

IR first started working in Bosnia in 1992, during the Bosnian War and was one of the first international organisations to begin delivering humanitarian aid and emergency relief in the country. Food, clothes, wood and water were distributed through IR’s offices and warehouses. In 1993, after the initial emergency and relief stage, IR rebuilt houses, schools and mosques damaged during the war. In 2001 IR established an interest-free loans system based on Islamic finance to tackle the problems of unemployment and to help people rebuild their homes. We have since helped thousands of families rebuild their homes and develop sustainable livelihoods. Many of these families are female-headed and would never have had this chance without our support. The number of business and housing loans issued by IR increases every year, enabling us to benefit a wider and growing range of people in Bosnia. IR also focuses its work on orphan support. Besides providing support though our global one-to-one sponsorship programme IR has made an agreement with a local partner ‘Amica Educa’ to provide psychosocial assistance to orphans and their families.