June 7 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said on Thursday it is granting 1.5 million euro ($1.8 million) in humanitarian aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the increasing needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants stranded in the country.
This brings Commission humanitarian funding to 30.5 million euro to address the needs in Western Balkans since the start of the refugee crisis, the Commission said in a statement.
"The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased and we must act swiftly", the commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Christos Stylianides, said.
"Our funding will support their basic needs and provide emergency shelter, food and health assistance, as well as protection", Stylianides added.
EU will provide humanitarian aid in locations such as Sarajevo, Bihac and Velika Kladusa in Bosnia. The funding aims to strengthen the provision of assistance, the protective environment and enhancing the capacity of organisations already providing first-line emergency response.
Around 4,900 refugees and migrants have entered Bosnia since early January 2018, according to government estimates. Approximately 2,500 refugees and migrants in need of assistance are currently stranded in the country.
The EU noted it will provide its assistance through humanitarian partner organisations already present in Bosnia.
($=0.846254 euro)