In light of the of the floods and landslides that are ongoing in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina the Yale-Tulane ESF-8 Planning and Response Program has produced this special report.

1. AS OF 21 MAY 2014,
1600 EST
INJURED DEAD
UNKNOWN 51*
BACKGROUND
SERBIA
BiH
GOVERNMENT LINKS
EUROPEAN UNION
ERCC Portal
EU HUMANITARIAN AID AND PROTECTION
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US EMBASSY BiH
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UN
WHO
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UNMAS
RED CROSS
IFRC
HEALTH INFORMATION
FLOOD
FLOOD RECOVERY
FOOD WATER AND HYGIENE
WORKERS SAFETY
PREPARING FOR A FLOOD
WHO - FLOODING AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
PORTALS AND RESOURCES
RELIEF WEB
GDAC
PREVENTION WEB
HUMANITARIAN EARLY WARNING SERVICE
HUMANITY ROAD
MAPACTION
THOAMS REUTERS FOUNDATION
ASSESSMENT CAPACITIES PROJECT ACAPS
NEWS:
InSERBIA
THE ECONOMIST
BBC
REUTERS
CNN
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
MINSTRY OF SECURITY
BIH FEDERAL NEWS AGENCY
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR HYDROMETEOROLOGY
SERBIA
PRIME MINISTER
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
TWITER|FACEBOOK
MINSTRY OF HEALTH
MINISTRY OF MINING AND ENERGY
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
NUMBER LIKELY TO RISE
FLOOD UPDATE
YALE -TULANE SPECIAL REPORT – FLOODS IN THE BALKANS
WEATHER/HYDROLOGY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SITUTAION ANALYSIS
US SUPPORT
RED CROSS
UN SUPPORT
EU SUPPORT

2. BACKGROUND
TYPE OF DISASTER: CATASTROPHIC FLOODING WITH LANDSLIDES
LOCATIONS: THE BALKANS
SIITUATION: In May 2014, multiple floods affected a large area of Southeastern
Europe. A low-pressure area named “Tamara” brought the worst of the flooding
from 14–16 May. Rainfall in Serbia and Bosnia - Herzegovina was the heaviest in
120 years of recorded weather measurements. Flooding is ongoing with the peak
of the flood wave on River Sava having not yet passed through Serbia. A large
international aid operation is underway, with rescue helicopters from the
European Union, US and Russia evacuating people from affected areas.
DEAD: At least 51 people are dead but this number is likely to increase in the next
few days and as search and rescue efforts continue and flood waters subside.
SERBIA:
• On 15 May, the government of Serbia declared a State of Emergency for the
whole territory of the Republic, due to the floods caused by the heavy rainfall
of the last few days.
• As of 16 May approx. 100,000 households were without electricity, as a large
number of power plants have been flooded. The municipality of Ub is reported
to be particularly affected .
• The government of Serbia has requested international assistance through the
European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
• Heavy rainfall affected Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 May. As of 16 May
morning, water levels are still increasing in the Vrbas river; water levels
exceeded the emergency flood protection level at Delibašino Village .
Debris from a landslide and floodwaters surround houses
on May 15 in the village of Topcic Polje in central Bosnia.
SOURCE: CNN
• The Zenica-Doboj Canton is particularly affected. Many people in
Maglaj are still waiting for evacuation.
• Throughout the country the transportation network has been
damaged in several places. Some cities and villages are without
electricity and water supply
• The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina has requested
international assistance through the European Union Civil
Protection Mechanism.

3. • Flooding continues to be extreme along portions of the Sava River and river levels
are still rising in locations downstream of Å Abac. Rising waters along the Sava
River continue to threaten villages especially between Å Abac and Belgrade.
• Of particular concern is a power plant located in the town of Obrenovac which
supplies power to half of Serbia. The town has already experienced significant
flooding, and water levels are expected to continue to rise and put the power
plant at increased risk.
• In addition to the Sava River, the next greatest threat is the Danube(Dunav) River.
• Numerous tributaries that flow into the Danube, including the Sava River, are
experiencing elevated conditions. As water continues to flow from these
tributaries into the Danube, water levels will continue to rise in the Danube.
• Of additional concern is the city of Belgrade , which is at the confluence of two
major rivers that are experiencing water level rises- the Sava and the Danube.
• Current flood forecasts from the Serbia Hydrometeorological Service indicate river
levels will approach Very significant water stage. Although significant rains are not
expected through 23 May, water will continue to flow downstream, and river
levels will remain elevated along the Sava River through at least 23 May.
• In general river levels in west Serbia will continue to decrease (with the exception
of the Danube), while water levels will continue to rise downstream.
CURRENT FLOOD SITUATION
(18 MAY 2013)
(19 MAY 2014)
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on
NASA’s Aqua satellite captured an image of flooding in Croatia, Serbia, and
Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 19, 2014. The second image shows the same
area one year ago during a more typical spring. NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY

4. DARTMOUTH FLOOD OBSERVATORY
RAPID RESPONSE MAPPING OF THE 2014 FLOODING IN BIH AND SERBIA
(20 MAY 2014)
In Bosnia and Herzegovina water levels show a stagnating (SEE AREAS IN RED) or decreasing tendency. However, they are still above
extraordinary flood defense levels at some locations of the Sava, Una and Vrbas River.

5. WEATHER
(TUZLA, BiH)
SOURCE: http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.14557
http://www.fhmzbih.gov.ba/latinica/HIDROLOGIJA/H-avodostaji.php
• Over 100mm of rainfall was recorded over Bosnia and Serbia
during Wednesday and Thursday last week (14th & 15th May
2014), with media reports of much higher rainfall
accumulations in places.The heavy rainfall was caused by a
slow moving area of low pressure through the whole depth of
the atmosphere
• The system that caused the heavy rainfall has now moved
away eastwards with predominately dry weather expected for
the rest of this week.
• Temperatures are expected to be close to normal for the time
of year with relatively light winds. However the longer range
forecast shows the potential for further heavy rainfall next
week.

6. WEATHER
(BELGRADE, SERBIA)
SOURCE: http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.13274
DANUBE RIVER
SAVA RIVER
RIVER STATUS
DANUBE
(DUNAV)
RISING
DRAVA STAGNATION
TISA RISING
SAVA:
UPSTREAM ŠABAC SLIGHT FALLING, DOWNSTREAM
SLIGHT RISING
DRINA SLIGHT FALLING
MORAVA FALLING
REPUBLIC HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF SERBIA

7. IMMEDIATE PRIOIRTIES
• Search and Rescue
• Evacuation
• Shelter
• Access to clean drinking water
• Sanitation
• Food
• Emergency medical care
PRIORITIES FOR INTERVENTIONS IN THE COMING WEEKS
• Dewatering
• Debris removal
• Restoration of utilities
• Access to food and clean water
• Emergency shelter and support for re-building damaged houses
• Food and non-food items
• Psychosocial support
• Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene items
• Basic health services (medical supplies and transportation/evacuation
to the hospitals)
• Public Health /sanitation
.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
CONSTRAINTS
• Access to rural and remote areas will be a critical challenge in the
coming days and weeks.
• Damaged roads and bridges are major obstacles in gaining access to,
and evacuating affected people, and certain areas are only accessible
by boat or helicopter until the flood waters recede.
• The floods and landslides have raised the risk of injury or death from
land mines left over from the wars in the 1990s, due to the fact that
landslides swept away many of the warning signs around the
minefields.
HUMANITARIAN AND OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS
• Access to rural and remote areas will provide significant challenges in
the coming days and weeks.
• Roads, bridges and utility infrastructures are damaged.
• There are serious shortages of emergency response vehicles and
equipment necessary to respond to a disaster of this scope and scale.
• The lack of financial and physical resources will further constrain the
response
SOURCES:
EU PRES RELEASE 17 MAY 2014
SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER
IFRC - EMERGENCY PLAN OF ACTION (EPOA) BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: FLOODS
ACTALLIANCE ALELERT MSG 18 MAY 2014
ACAP BRIEFING NOTES – FLOODS IN SERBIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 19 MAY 2014
WFP – SERBIA/BiH FLOOD EMERGENCY – 19 MAY 2014
Heavy machinery is clearing streets in Topcic, near the Bosnian town of Zenica,
after a landslide. BBC
This week mobile teams consisting of representatives of the
UN, WB, EU and the US will visit flood-affected communities to
conduct the needs assessment in BiH (UNICEF)

8. RISK ASSESSMENT
BOSNIA AND HERTZEGOVINA
• Along with the heavy rains, in some parts of the country snowfalls
caused problems, in particular in the mountains of Trebevic,
Jahorina and Karaula, hence the possibility of more floods and
landslide cannot be excluded
• Weather forecasts indicate that rain is likely to continue in the
following few days. Therefore there is a potential for further
flooding across the central, northern and eastern parts of the
country.
• Among the areas at risk are the municipalities of Maglaj, Donoj,
Zenica, Bijeljina, Banja Luka Tuzla, Brčko, Modriči, Bosanskom
Šamcu, Vareš, Gradačac, Mrkonjić-Grad, Zvornik, and Prijedor.
• 2,000 landslides, road blockages and infrastructure damages have
further worsened the situation and relief efforts. There are reports
that landmines that had been buried during the conflict and have
not yet been removed are in some instances being shifted to the
ground surface with the landslides, adding to the risk of injury to
people living in the areas as well as rescuers.
SERBIA
• Prolonged high water levels are still to be expected, which can cause an
eventual collapse or leakage of the dams and the whole river defense
system.
• More rainfall is also predicted for the coming two weeks, thus new
flooding waves are expected on the Sava and the Morava rivers. Among
the areas at risk are the municipalities of Belgrade, Obrenovac,Sabac,
Ub, Sremska Mitrovica, Svilajnac, Smederevo, Pozarevac, Paracin,
Jagodina and Krupanj.
• The most seriously affected regions in Serbia are Kolubara, Mačva and
Morava. The town of Obrenovac (30 kilometres north of Belgrade) has
been the hardest hit, and the entire town is now being evacuated amid
warnings of more flooding .
• The area along the Sava River, west of Belgrade, is also among the
places worst hit by the flooding.
• Flooding is still ongoing. In Sabac, water levels rose by 6.2 meters.
• Although major environmental accidents in the form of industrial
pollution have been avoided, high levels of pesticide concentrations
and fecal contamination have been identified in the flood waters.
• Over 1000 lands slides have occurred, furthering worsening the
damage. The threat of additional landslides still remains.
• Public health issues are likely to arise in both countries due to sanitation issues that are likely to develop as flood waters recede.
• With the stagnated water and warmer weather, mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus are also a risk.

9. MINISTRY OF SECURITY
http://www.msb.gov.ba/Default.aspx?langTag=en-
US&pageIndex=1
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE http://www.mod.gov.ba/aktuelnosti/vijesti/?id=32871
MINSTRY OF HEALTH
http://www.fmoh.gov.ba/
FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR
HYDROMETEOROLOGY
http://www.fhmzbih.gov.ba/latinica/index.php
SITUATION
(BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (BiH)
 FATALITIES: 24 confirmed fatalities
 INJURED: Unknown
 DESTRUCTION: Wide spread. The municipalities of Maglaj and Doboj
are completely under water. The heavy rains have also triggered 2,000
landslide which have buried homes and disturbed landmines from the
war in the 1990s.
 EVACUATION: 40,000 people have been displaced
 UTILITIES: 38,500 households are without electricity
 WATER: 1 million cut off from clean water
 TRANSPORTATION: a large number of landslides and blocked a
significant number of main and regional roads. Many bridges have
collapsed
 EMERGENCY DECLARATION: The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina
has requested international assistance through the European Union Civil
Protection Mechanism.
BiH - LINKS
.
Many cities in the North-East of the country are still under water or mud.
Water levels are slowly declining, but the situation is still critical because of
numerous landslides.
AFFECTED LOCATIONS/REGIONS:
• Tuzla Canton, Sarajevo Canton, Zenica-Doboj, Canton, Bosnia-Podrinje
Canton, Una-Sana Canton, Brcko District, and Banja Luka, Doboj,
Bijeljina, Odzak, Samac, Srebrenica regions.
• Most affected: Samac, Odzak, Orasje, Doboj, Bijeljina, Brcko, and
Maglaj.
• Brčko: Floods are still affecting the areas of Vučilovci-Gorica,Vučilovci
and Krepšić with water levels rising at a rate of 3cm/hr. Domaljevac,
Bosanski Šamac and Odžak are now safe areas and are not expected to
experience any further flooding.
EVACUATION AND RESCUE
• All available rescue teams, police, firemen, mountain rescue services,
rafting clubs and local residents are on the ground assisting in the
evacuation of the affected population.
• Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are engaged evacuated the
municipality of Šekovići , Maglaj and settlement Matuzići. Helicopters
have evacuated people from the northern towns of Samac and Modrica .
• BIH Armed Forces, EUFOR, NATO and US engaged in rescue efforts by
helicopter. EUFOR forces have transported power units, food, water,
medicine and medicinal support to Brcko, Bijeljina, Orašje and
surrounding remote areas in the past two days.
SOURCE: MOS SITUATION UPDATE 16 MAY 2014 ECHO BiH -19 MAY 2014
ECHO FLASH REPORT 18 MAY 2014 ECHO BiH – 20 MAY 2014 UN COORDINATOR – 20 MAY 2014

10. SITUATION
(BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (BiH)
TRANSPORTATION
• Floods triggered a large number of landslides and blocked a significant
number of main and regional roads.
• Many bridges have collapsed .
POWER
• Around 38,500 homes are without electrify.
• Areas experiencing power outages are: Una Sana Canton, Zenica-
Doboj Canton, areas surrounding Banja Luka, municipalities
Bijeljina, Donji Žabar, Šamac,Modriča.
• The electrical power grid was severely affected in some areas and is
slowly being restored. However, many areas remain without
electricity and recovery may take a long timedue to the absence of
replacementequipment and transformers.
LANDSLIDES: Municipalities Tuzla, Kalesija and Banovići are
reported to be under severe threat of landslides.
CONTAMINATION: Pollution of the water supply system poses a
potential health threat. The Federal Institution of Public Health
warned of a high risk of infectious diseases epidemics in affected
areas
Landslides triggered by the floods also raised the
risk of injury or death from land mines left over
from Bosnia's 1992-95 war. The landslides swept
away many of the carefully placed warning signs
around the minefields.
An aerial view shows a flooded area near the Northern-Bosnian
town of Brcko on May 18, 2014. (AFP Photo / Elvis Barukcic)
SOURCE: MOS SITUATION UPDATE 16 MAY 2014 ECHO BiH -19 MAY 2014
ECHO FLASH REPORT 18 MAY 2014 ECHO BiH – 20 MAY 2014 UN COORDINATOR – 20 MAY 2014

11. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ECDM_20140521_BiH_Serbia_Floods.pdf

12. PRIME MINISTER http://www.srbija.gov.rs/?change_lang=en
MINISTER OF INTERIOR
http://www.mup.gov.rs/cms_eng/home.nsf/index-
eng.html
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE http://www.mod.gov.rs/
MINSTRY OF HEALTH http://www.zdravlje.gov.rs/
REPUBLIC HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
SERVICE SERBIA
http://www.hidmet.gov.rs/eng/osmotreni/naslovna.p
hp
SITUATION
(SERBIA)
 FATALITIES: 27
 INJURED: Unknown
 DESTRUCTION: At least 3,000 kilometers of roads have been damaged, 250
bridges destroyed, and 2,500 residential facilities either destroyed or
damaged.
 EVACUATION: 31,873
 UTILITIES: Electrical power system has been severely damaged. At least
26,000 households without electricity.
 WATER: 300,000 do not have access to dinking water . Water management
systems are affected and there is no drinking water in affected areas
 TRANSPORTATION: a large number of landslides and blocked a significant
number of main and regional roads. Many bridges have collapsed
 EMERGENCY DECLARATION: The government of Serbia has requested
international assistance through the European Union Civil Protection
Mechanism.
SERBIA - LINKS
.
Due to the recent heavy rains and floods, the most seriously affected regions
are Kolubara, Macva and Morava. The situation still remains highly critical in
Obrenovac, Sremska Raca and Jamena. The municipalities of Ub, Krupanj,
Svilajnac, and Paracin are also among the worst hit
MAPACTION
SOURCE: ECHO FLASH REPORT 21 MAY 2014
GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
MIHAJLOVIC: ESTIMATES OF FLOOD-CAUSED DAMAGE BY MAY 30
FLOODS IN THE BALKANS: FEARS OF ANOTHER SURGE | THE ECONOMIST
SERBIA - FLOODS (MDRRRS009) – 21 MAY 2014
PLAN FOR COUNTRY’S RECOVERY

13. SITUATION
(SERBIA)
.
EVACUATION OPERATIONS
• Emergency Services evacuated and rescued over 30,000 people from the
affected areas.
• In Sabac, Wednesday, 21 MAY 2014, a preventive evacuation of children,
women, the elderly and the sick continued
WATER
• Water management systems are affected and there is no drinking water
TRANSPORTATION
• According to preliminary estimates, 3,500 km of a total of 17,000 km of roads
of primary and secondary roads have suffered serious damaged
• Deep standing water, landslides and mudslides have contributed to the
destruction of the road and rail networks making many routes impassable for
passenger and freight traffic for a long time.
• RAIL
• Serbian Railways restored the international rail traffic with Greece
and Bulgaria on the entire stretch from Belgrade to Thessaloniki and
Sofia.on 19 MAY 2014.
• On 21 MAY Serbian Railways will begin international passenger traffic
from Belgrade to Montenegro and Macedonia. The international
passenger train from Belgrade to Montenegro will use the auxiliary
route Rakovica-Mladenovac-Palanka-Velika Plana-Lapovo-Kragujevac-
Kraljevo-Cacak-Uzice and further towards Bar. On the way back from
Bar to Belgrade, the train will also use the auxiliary route.
• LANDSLIDES: Over a thousand landslides have been triggered in Serbia by
flooding, the worst situation being in Kosjeric, Mali Zvornik, Bajina Basta and
Gornji Milanovac, municipalities in mountainous parts of western Serbia.
CONTAMINATION
• According to the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency, the floods that
have hit Serbia a having a devastating effect on the environment, but major
environmental accidents in the form of industrial pollution have been
avoided.
• The Agency has established an emergency team and last weekend’s tests on
water from all flooded areas revealed higher pesticide concentrations and
fecal contamination.
• The sanitization of the area will be followed by monitoring, in particular in
flood-hit areas, to determine the extent of contamination, while removal of
dead animals and disinfection have started in all areas from which the
floodwater has receded.
POWER
• The Prime Minister stated that the electric power industry has suffered by far
the greatest damage, estimating that the system has suffered damages
worth more than €200 million ($273,560,000 US dollars)
• On 21 May 2014, workers of the Nikola Tesla A power plant have gathered
with volunteers and colleagues from the state power giant EPS in Obrenovac,
southwest of Belgrade, to build an additional bulwark around the plant and
protect it from potential flooding.
Aerial footage showed flooding near Serbia's Tesla power plant
SOURCE: ECHO FLASH REPORT 21 MAY 2014
GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
MIHAJLOVIC: ESTIMATES OF FLOOD-CAUSED DAMAGE BY MAY 30
FLOODS IN THE BALKANS: FEARS OF ANOTHER SURGE | THE ECONOMIST
SERBIA - FLOODS (MDRRRS009) – 21 MAY 2014
PLAN FOR COUNTRY’S RECOVERY

14. http://erccportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ERCMaps/ECDM_20140521_BiH_Serbia_Floods.pdf#page=2

15. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
• The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RCSBiH) has been actively
engaged in rescue and operation activities, providing relief and helping
setting up centers and temporary accommodations for those evacuated.
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities have declared a state of emergency as
hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in 14 municipalities,
including Doboj, Maglaj, Brcko District, Olovo, Bijeljina, Lukavac, Kladanj,
Srebrenica, Gradacac and Zvornik. The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and
Herzegovina delivered food parcels and drinking water on foot where the
roads are blocked but also by jeep and boat.
• The National Society has mobilized its multipurpose teams in the affected
areas, staff and volunteers are assisting authorities with evacuations as well
as providing blankets, mattresses, drinking water, food and hygiene kits,
rubber boots and water disinfectants to the affected people.
• In the Brcko District, one of the worst affected areas, Red Cross volunteers
assisted by putting sand banks along the River Sava trying to prevent it from
flooding dozens of villages.
• Unfortunately, the relief efforts are being hampered by the destroyed
infrastructure, broken telecommunication, blackouts and difficult conditions
in the field.
RED CROSS ACTIONS
SERBIA
• The Red Cross of Serbia has sent a team for field coordination and assessment
to the city of Valjevo on 14 May 2014 where the biggest evacuation took
place.
• Following an initial assessment of needs and coordinated attempts of different
rescue services the Red Cross sent out its water rescue teams who are joining
the evacuation efforts . The water rescue teams visited 75 families, 9 of which
have been evacuated from the city of Valjevo.
• In Obrenovac, 28 persons have been evacuated while 350 food parcels have
been distributed by rescue boats to families refusing instructions to evacuate.
In the same place, the Red Cross assisted with 150 evacuations along with
other search and rescue efforts.
• Mobile technical teams are already helping people in the endangered cities
where the water is receding, with the task of pumping the water out of the
flooded houses and to engage wall dehumidifiers, in order to help people
move back to their houses. More requests for RC mobile technical team
assistance are pending.
• The urgent distribution of food and non-food items has been organized from
the RC Disaster Management Warehouse. However, that distribution was
delayed in some municipalities due to the inaccessible road infrastructure.
• Assistance to renew stocks of blankets, mattresses, cots, rubber boots,
hygiene items, plus family parcels, cleaning kits, ready-to-eat meals and
canned food, to be sent out to the evacuation points, will also be needed
The Red Cross societies of both
countries have been actively
engaged in rescue- and operation
activities, providing relief and
helping setting up centers for those
evacuated. Red Cross of Serbia
(IFRC)
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has
released funds through the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund for both
countries, which will be used to replenish stocks and to cover early recovery
measures and materials.
• So far, the Serbia Red Cross has assessed the need for materials and
additional equipment for water drainage, dehumidifiers assistance and
replenishment of its depleted emergency stock of blankets, mattresses, cots,
rubber boots and food items.
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
IFRC – PRESS RELEASE 16 MAY 2014
IFRC – PRESS RELEASE 18 MAY 2014
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - FLOODS (MDRBA009) – 19 MAY 2014
SERBIA - FLOODS (MDRRRS009) – 21 MAY 2014

16. UN RESPONSE
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has
dispatched a team of UN disaster assessment experts to the
region .
In addition, teams from the UN World Food Program (WFP), the
UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund, (UNICEF)
the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) are working with the authorities
to help assess people's needs and provide food, clean water and
sanitation support and debris removal.
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM
• WFP announced that it had sent a second batch of emergency
relief items to Serbia. The shipment included water tanks,
generators and inflatable boats provided by WFP and the
Norwegian Government.
• A further flight is scheduled on 19 MAY to Tuzla, in Bosnia-
Herzegovina, with tents and water containers and purification
equipment also from the Norwegian Government.
• WFP says that it will launch a $1.5 million operation to
respond to immediate humanitarian needs upon a request
from the Government of Serbia and in coordination with the
authorities there and other UN organizations on the ground.
• In Bosnia-Herzegovina, where floods have exceeded
emergency levels in the north, WFP is planning to send life-
saving food assistance to 150,000 of the most vulnerable
flood-affected people.
UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF RALLIES SUPPORT FOR FLOOD-HIT BALKAN REGIONS
UNHRD

17. EUROPEAN UNION RESPONSE
• The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil
Protection Mechanism which has been activated upon the request of Serbia
and Bosnia & Herzegovina due to the severe flooding in the two countries.
• A total of 19 EU Member States offered assistance such as motor boats,
helicopters and pumps and deployed nearly 400 relief workers to the two
countries of which around 235 to Serbia and over 150 to Bosnia &
Herzegovina.
• Two EU Civil Protection teams have been sent to Serbia and Bosnia &
Herzegovina to help with the coordination of relief efforts.
• Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Croatia,
Slovakia, Denmark, Italy, Romania and Poland have offered rescue boats, high
capacity pumps and operational teams to Serbia.
• Austria, Slovenia, Luxembourg, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, the
Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania and
Poland responded to the request of Bosnia & Herzegovina for rescue and
evacuation helicopters, motor boats, generators, sandbags, tents, blankets
and humanitarian aid kits.
• The European Commission is also providing satellite imagery of the flooded
areas to the relevant authorities in the two countries and is co-financing the
transportation costs of aid.
• On Friday, 15 May, in the evening, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has
been activated due to severe flooding that has affected Serbia and Bosnia &
Herzegovina. 19 Member States have so far offered assistance through the
Mechanism.
• Most of the assistance has arrived to the countries affected during the
weekend of 17 and 18 May, the rest of it is underway. Offers for assistance by
Member States keep coming in. The European Commission co-finances the
assistance transportation costs. In addition, satellite imagery of the affected
areas is being produced by the EC.
• An EU Civil Protection Team has arrived in Serbia on Saturday, 17 May, and
in Bosnia & Herzegovina on Sunday, 18 May, to assist the national
authorities in their response to the wide scale flooding and to support the
coordination of the incoming EU assistance.
• On 20 May, an EU humanitarian expert has been deployed to Serbia to
support the assessment of humanitarian needs on the ground.
• The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre
(ERCC) is in constant contact with both affected countries and with the
participating states in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, matching the
incoming offers for assistance with needs on the ground.
• The Emergency Mapping Service of the European Union's Copernicus
program was activated to provide satellite-based maps of the severe
floods in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. The service
produced four maps for Croatia, 18 maps for Bosnia and Herzegovina,
and 20 maps of Serbia.
Extent of floods near Jagodina, Serbia on 15 May 2014 (UN-SPIDER)

18. US RESPONSE
The US embassies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia have set in motion
processes that will provide additional funds and resources to help deal with the
disaster, and USAID has deployed humanitarian experts to assist with response
efforts.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
• On May 15, Charge d’Affaires Nicholas Hill issued a disaster declaration to
support immediate relief efforts.
• USAID procured search and rescue boats
• Five semi-trucks from U.S. Army Garrison Livorno (Camp Darby) in Italy are en
route to BiH containing over 25 tons of emergency relief supplies valued at
approximately $700,000, including: nearly 1,200 sleeping bags, cots, mats, and
blankets; 720 water cans; 200 fuel cans; 3 portable kitchen sets; 14 space
heaters; 7 generators; 15 water pumps; and other supplies.
• The US is also facilitating the re-calibration of helicopter tools necessary to
support the AFBiH’s extensive search and rescue efforts. Tools were flown from
BiH on May 17 to U.S. facilities in Germany for re-calibration May 18 and are
expected to be returned to BiH shortly. This effort will ensure continued
operation of two AFBiH UH1 Huey helicopters and assist in getting three
additional UH1 Huey helicopters owned by the AFBiH up and supporting
emergency response efforts.
DOS PRESS RELEASE – 19 MAY 2014
US EMBASSY BIH
USAID BIH UPDATE
USAID – BIH
US EMBASSY SERBIA
USAID – SERBIA
SERBIA
• Ambassador Michael D. Kirby issued a disaster declaration to support
immediate relief efforts.
• The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance will release USD 100,000 to
the Serbian Red Cross to purchase needed items locally for immediate
relief efforts. The Red Cross has provided a list of urgently needed
supplies, including rubber boats and other rescue equipment, water
pumps, generators, sand bags, basic hygiene equipment, bed cots,
blankets, and rain gear that the Red Cross would use or distribute to
affected communities.
The U.S. Government continues to work urgently to identify other possible
military and civilian support for relief efforts, particularly additional boats for
search, rescue, cleanup and recovery efforts, and water purification
systems.
To help victims of the worst flooding in
130 years, USAID/BiH procured 13
boats to evacuate families in the most
affected areas. USAID staff also
delivered food and clothing directly to
families who lost their homes in
mudslides caused by the heavy rains.
Ambassador Kirby, U.S. diplomats and embassy staff rolled up their sleeves
and prepared a few hundred bags to help strengthen Belgrade’s coast
threatened by flooding. (US EMBASSY)