When an Accident Strikes, Help Cannot Wait

The City of Bihać has taken the lead in Bosnia and Herzegovina by establishing the country’s first locally funded emergency cash transfer scheme as part of its social protection system. By introducing an expanded right to emergency cash transfer within its social protection system, the city has made a substantial stride in enhancing community resilience. The Bihać City Council’s decision to allocate dedicated budget funds ensures a stable and sustainable financial framework for delivering rapid response and support to the most vulnerable during emergencies.

“Past experience has shown that although funds may be available, bureaucratic procedures often prevent the rapid delivery of assistance to families affected by natural disasters, rendering the provision of support time-consuming and burdensome. This was the driving force behind the City Council’s initiative and decision to incorporate a mechanism into the system to enable urgent assistance for families facing disasters”, says Senad Tutić, director of the Bihać Centre for Social Work, speaking about the innovative model that builds on the work of the joint UN Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme, where Bihać was recognized as one of the pilot locations.

The initiative was developed with technical support from UNICEF and further reinforced through the joint UN DRR programme, funded by the Government of Switzerland. As a result of this collaboration, the capacities of local institutions – particularly the Bihać Centre for Social Work (CSW), working closely with the Civil Protection Service – have been enhanced to ensure efficient management of payments and timely distribution of transfers to those most in need.

“I believe that this model will enable us to respond swiftly and effectively on the ground to support those in need”, says Tutić. “The model is now integrated into the system, through a City Council decision and with the backing of the City Administration. We now have a designated budget code and earmarked funds, which will accumulate if unused. With this decision, we have expanded entitlements in the field of social protection, and the funds will be included in the city budget on an annual basis”.

Tutić explains that beneficiaries eligible to access this support in emergencies will be identified according to the principle of vulnerability. This includes individuals already registered in the social protection system, families with children, households with persons with disabilities, large households and other vulnerable groups:

“Previously, when a family was affected by a disaster, the City had no legal basis to declare a state of natural disaster. Now, thanks to this decision and the accompanying regulations, a team of professional staff can assess the situation on the ground, enabling us to respond rapidly and directly to affected families using available financial resources”, he says.

The Mayor of Bihać, Elvedin Sedić, stresses that this scheme allows for swift and effective assistance without complex administrative hurdles, where people in need can receive concrete financial support quickly to help repair damage caused by natural disasters.

“This approach is primarily aimed at helping our fellow citizens who have recently faced hardship, particularly those affected by natural disasters. We’ve witnessed how slow the response can be from government institutions at all levels – not due to a lack of willingness, but because procedures are overly complex and difficult to amend. I believe this scheme will strengthen the aid system and allow us to respond more swiftly. We are committed to this form of support, to ensuring the system remains self-sustaining and to allocating as much funding as possible so we can provide prompt and efficient support when it is needed most – because people affected by disasters can’t afford to wait for months or even years for help”, says Mayor Elvedin Sedić, noting that the initiative has enjoyed strong support from the start, with backing from all local stakeholders and decision-makers.

“There was unanimous agreement that this was the right step, and we encountered no resistance”, he says. “The main challenge is always financial – ensuring resources are available – but even there, we had no doubts. We included the required funding in this year’s budget in line with the decision and regulation that have now been adopted. We are determined to continue this approach, and in future years, we will allocate additional resources, fully aware that climate change will likely bring further natural disasters – challenges we must be prepared to face head-on”.

Bihać City Council member Irma Arifagić says she was pleased to support the initiative:

“When I saw the proposal, I was determined to do everything in my power to ensure it was approved and implemented, so that citizens could realize their right to a roof over their heads as quickly as possible. Accessing any kind of support is often hindered by procedures – numerous requests, commissions, approvals, stamps and so on – and in those moments, people find themselves in a vulnerable position, without a timely response from the system to help them survive the first critical months until their homes are repaired. To speed up the process, we’ve introduced a bank account into which funds can be paid in not only from the City level but also from all other levels of government, enabling assistance to reach people at the moment they need it most”, says Arifagić. She adds that it is especially important that the scheme makes it possible to assess whether the support provided should be one-off or ongoing, depending on the specific circumstances, regardless of the scale of the disaster or whether a state of natural disaster has officially been declared:

“People must know that the City of Bihać is there for them – that they are not alone when disaster strikes. This regulation is well thought-out, and I believe it will benefit many. Since Bihać is the first city in the Federation of BiH to adopt such a protocol, I believe this is the right time for councillors in other cities to consider doing the same: creating a dedicated budget code and ensuring their citizens know exactly where to turn in times of crisis”.

Nermin Mujadžić, from the village of Mujadžići near Bihać, lost his barn in a fire several years ago. Although he managed to save the animals, the structure and all his equipment were lost. He says that aside from surviving the incident, what mattered most was receiving immediate assistance – thanks to the quick response of the Bihać CSW.

“There were people who helped me, and I’m especially grateful to the CSW. I had lost hope – both in myself and in our institutions – but there’s always someone who steps in. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to rebuild, and the barn would still be in ruins. After what I went through, I can say the most important thing for anyone in this situation is to receive help immediately, without having to waste energy on endless paperwork”, says Mujadžić, adding that timely support was crucial in saving his family’s livelihood.

“My eldest son, Esad, who recently turned 18, has autism. I have three other children. We keep sheep and chickens mainly because of him, as he has a strong affection for animals; he is very attached to them, and they mean a great deal to him. He enjoys working with them, and I hope he might one day find a way to pursue this passion further. He also takes care of seven or eight dogs, and it is very beneficial for him to have an interest in animals, with whom he spends a lot of time”, Nermin tells us, as Esad releases the sheep from the rebuilt barn and eagerly directs them towards the meadow.

Razija and Fadil Dedić from Ćukovo, near Bihać, sought help from the CSW after torrential floods destroyed their greenhouses and wiped out all their crops. With support from the City, the CSW secured emergency funding to assist them. The situation was made even more difficult by Fadil’s ongoing treatment for cancer, which required hospitalisation. Shortly after his discharge, Razija’s own health began to deteriorate. The couple produce homemade products – salads, juices and jams – and the prompt rehabilitation of the damage was vital to their recovery:

“It was awful. My husband was still in hospital – he’d had two operations. I had planted vegetables on a 0.75-acre plot of land just above our house, but then the floods hit. Everything behind the house was swept away – onions, seeds, cabbage – everything we had”, says Razija. “The City people came, made an inventory of all the damage. I didn’t have much hope, but in the end, help came and I’m grateful. We were never the kind to ask for help – we’ve never asked anyone for anything – but when something like this happens, that support means the world, especially if it arrives quickly so we can get back on our feet”, she says, expressing her appreciation for the assistance from the CSW and the City.

“By establishing a dedicated budget code for emergency cash transfers, Bihać has ensured that assistance is no longer reliant solely on external donations or hindered by lengthy administrative procedures, but is instead quickly available to those most in need. Through this scheme, the city has positioned itself as a local leader in Bosnia and Herzegovina in integrating resilience into the social protection system. The experience gained in Bihać offers a valuable framework for other local communities seeking to improve their emergency response and make social protection more flexible, efficient and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable”, says Irina Kulenović from UNICEF BiH’s Social Policy Programme. The Mayor of Bihać, Elvedin Sedić, expressed hope that others will follow suit and adopt this locally funded emergency cash transfer scheme as part of their social protection systems:

“I call on all my colleagues – city and municipal mayors – to make this decision and move in this direction, because they, too, are fully aware that under the current system, they can’t respond quickly or effectively to the needs of their citizens – especially those facing hardship. That’s why I believe many will choose to follow this path, and I personally offer my assistance to anyone, particularly those in Una-Sana Canton, who would like to benefit from our experience”.