UNHCR hands over new vehicle to itluk Red Cross

On Thursday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR in BiH handed over a new vehicle worth 36,400 BAM to the Red Cross of itluk Municipality, which will be used for the distribution and delivery of humanitarian goods, medicines, as well as transporting refugees and domestic patients to the nearest health center or the University Clinical Hospital SKB in Mostar.

The UNHCR representative in BiH Lucie Gagne pointed out that the citizens of Itluk and Meugorje are one of the brightest examples of how communities should respond when it comes to accepting refugees.

Since Russia imposed an invasion of Ukraine, approximately 7.8 million people have been displaced internally and around 5.9 million people are still internally displaced in Ukraine, and approximately five million refugees have been granted temporary protection status in the countries of the European Union and the region.

According to the data we received from the BiH authorities, over 50,000 Ukrainians have come to this country, and there are currently 134 Ukrainian refugees in the country.

The BiH authorities failed to provide a legal framework that would protect their status, and we will try to find temporary protection status for these people with the new government. "I thank the citizens of Itluk and Meugorje, and all the international and national organizations that provided a timely response and help to Ukrainian refugees," Gagne said.

She said that UNHCR wants to support the capacities of the itluk Red Cross for better implementation of field activities for the local population, as well as the population of Ukrainians living in the municipality.

The secretary general of the Red Cross SocietyRed Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rajko Lazi said that this was a good day for the municipal Red Cross.

With the support of UNHCR's partner BH Women s Initiative Foundation BHWI clothing and footwear packages were distributed to refugees from Ukraine.