An 18 year commitment by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is about to come to an end. A road-trip through Bosnia in the winter of 2009 revealed a double-image of a healing-process and remaining problems.

From the convoy’s bringing food and medicine to hundreds of thousands of IDP’s during the war, to the reconstruction of houses and the repatriation of refugees and reintegration of IDP’s, DRC has been involved in every aspect of the humanitarian effort in Bosnia. Backed by Danish and international donors and populations DRC was able to invest the resources necessary to make a lasting change in Bosnia.

“The very core of DRC history in Bosnia is solidarity. It is the story of the consistency and willpower of the people who provided opportunities for refugees and internally displaced and those refugees and internally displaced that are still struggling to transform these opportunities into a future for themselves, their families and their country, “ says Tomislav Zulim, DRC Country Representative in Bosnia.

Although a lot have been achieved during the last 18 years a task remains for the international community in Bosnia.

“117.000 IDP’s in Bosnia are still in need of assistance in finding durable solutions. In addition a substantial number of particular minority returnees are facing serious obstacles rebuilding their lives due to discriminatory practices, political instability and hostile environments leading to a feeling of insecurity. At the same time inter-ethnic tensions are fuelled by high unemployment rates and social uncertainty,” Says Tomislav Zulim.

At the time of departure from Bosnia DRC is still present in other parts of former Yugoslavia and the support for refugees wishing to return from Denmark to Bosnia will be upheld. The best illustration of the healing-process and the remaining problems in Bosnia is the personal stories of the IDP’s and refugees that were targeted by the DRC programs.