ICACBR

Emergency Assistance to the Disabled Population in Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Project Information

Name:	Emergency Assistance to the Disabled Population in Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Donors:	Canadian International Development Agency
Budget:	$800,000 CAD - Albania and Kosovo component: $522,382                             - Bosnia-Herzegovina component: $277,618
Duration:	Albania-Kosovo - July 1999-April 2000 Bosnia-Herzegovina - September 1999-June 2000
Primary Site:	Kosova Albania Bosnia-Herzegovina
Beneficiaries:	Persons with disabilities (including landmine victims),their Families and Communities; Health Care Professionals INGO workers Policy Makers

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Overview

The former Yugoslavia has experienced varying hostilities resulting in damage to the health care infrastructures in all regions. ICACBR has been involved for over six years in the establishment of rehabilitation services in the primary health care systems of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Kosovo and Albania, the refugee crisis presented opportunities to continue the development of a regional system to address the rehabilitation needs of all persons with disabilities. A program was needed to deal with the large population of persons with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. Furthermore, the institutional approach to the care of persons with disabilities that had been in place could not be sustained economically, nor was it effective in addressing locally based needs and attitudes towards disability.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, there existed a significant landmine problem. Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the five most heavily mined countries in the world. Three years after the war, landmines were still claiming up to thirty-five casualties a month. Landmine victims suffer from serious physical and emotional distress. Furthermore, ordinary citizens live in fear, knowing the country is heavily populated with landmines. Peer counselling program development was identified as a priority in order to provide land mine victims with much-needed attention and care.