Bosnia and Herzegovina
INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF SOLIDARITY EMMAUS
International Forum of Solidarity EMMAUS, one of the largest NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was established in 1999 in Gračanica with the aim of providing assistance to all vulnerable groups and minorities in the country. Street football is one part of their extensive programme of activities and services that addresses marginalisation.
PARTICIPANTS
Homeless men and women, young people, the elderly, refugees, displaced people, illegal migrants, victims of human trafficking, and those affected by mental health problems, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.
LOCATIONS
Doboj Istok, Sarajevo and Srebrenica.
Country statistics
73 out of 189 in Human Development Index rating (UNDP, 2019)
$6,080 Average annual salary per person (World Bank, 2021)
16.9% living below the national poverty line (UNDP, 2019)
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population of 3.8 million, with the northern and central areas of the country being the most densely populated. 49.4% of the population live in urban areas.
Bosnia and Herzegovina struggle with an economy that is the least competitive in the region with high unemployment being the main macroeconomic problem. In 2019 unemployment was at 22.28% and youth unemployment between the ages of 15-24 was 36.6% (CIA Factbook, 2020). 16.9% of the population live on or below the poverty line (World Bank, 2017).
From 2015-2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina had an estimated 85,842 refugee and migrant arrivals (CIA Factbook, 2020). As of 2020 there were 99,000 internally displaced persons due to conflict and violence (inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-1995 war) (CIA Factbook, 2020; IDMC, 2021)
The majority of housing stock, especially in urban areas, consists of pre-fabricated multi-story apartment buildings that are generally of low-quality, poorly insulated, and poorly maintained. Highly inefficient energy use exacerbates the negative effect of escalating energy prices on low-income households (Habitat for Humanity, 2021).
Over 2.2 million people were displaced during and after the Bosnian War, making it the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. As a result of the war, approximately 99,000 were still living in displacement in 2017 (IDMC, 2018).
STORIES from the region
