War-Torn Land
In 1996 Bosnia emerged from three years of bloody inter-ethnic war facing a huge reconstruction effort. Widespread atrocities were committed during the war, and an estimated 250,000 people were killed. Over one million people were internally displaced and almost 1.5 million people fled the country.

Devastation & Recovery
Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Per capita income has halved since the war, and unemployment is endemic. While the reconstruction 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 in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Islamic relief first started working in Bosnia in 1992, during the Bosnian War. IR became one of the first international organisations to start delivering humanitarian aid and emergency relief in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through its offices and warehouses it distributed food, clothes, wood and water.

In 1993, after the initial emergency and relief stage, Islamic Relief rebuilt houses, schools and mosques damaged during the war.  

In 2001 Islamic Relief established an interest-free loans system based on Islamic finance to tackle the problems of unemployment and to help people rebuild their homes.

Islamic Relief has helped thousands of families rebuild their homes and develop sustainable livelihoods. Many of these families are female headed households who would have never had this chance without IR’s support. The number of business and housing loans issued by IR are increasing every year, enabling Islamic Relief in Bosnia to benefit a wider and growing range of people.

In addition Islamic Relief focuses its work on orphan support. Besides providing sponsorship 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.