18.05.2014
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonia will help Bosnia and Herzegovina in the aftermath of large-scale flooding. “I express my condolences to those close to the people killed in the floods,” Paet said. “We have decided to send a rescue team to Bosnia to help the country cope with the exceptional flooding,” he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is supporting sending a rescue mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina with 87 000 euros from the humanitarian aid budget.
More than a third of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been flooded due to heavy rains, and on May 15 a state of emergency was declared. River waters that have breached their banks have washed out many roads and flooded homes, farms and agricultural facilities.
Foreign Minister Paet said that Bosnia has called on the European Civil Protection Mechanism to help with accessing high-power water pumps. “This is the call for help which Estonia is now answering,” Paet added.
Estonia has made a similar offer of assistance to Serbia, which is also suffering from the effects of widespread flooding, but they currently turned down the offer of help.
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