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Islamic Relief
Ten years have passed since the
Srebrenica Massacre in Bosnia - the
worst atrocity in Europe since the end
of World War II. Around 8,000 Muslim men
and boys were systematically killed when
the Eastern Bosnian town fell to the
Serb army.
The war crimes tribunal at The Hague
described the massacre as genocide. Mass
graves containing the victims are still
being unearthed.
REF:
Islamic Relief
On Monday July 11th 2005 around 600
victims, aged between 14 and 77, were
laid to rest at the Srebrenica Memorial
and Cemetery in Potocari, Srebrenica.
The funeral coincided with the tenth
anniversary of the
atrocity
REF:
Islamic Relief
The Srebrenica Memorial at Potocari was
established across the road from the
abandoned UN base where thousands of
Bosnian Muslims sought sanctuary in vain.
Bullet-scarred walls still testify to
the executions that cut short their
lives.
REF:
Islamic Relief
Only 2000 victims of the Massacre have
been identified and buried so far.
Families of the missing have given blood
samples to authorities to help with DNA
identification of their loved ones.
REF:
Islamic Relief
In Tuzla, about 40 miles from Srebrenica,
3,500 body bags containing the remains
of massacre victims still await DNA
identification.
Thousands of widows and mothers still
have no news of the fate of their
husbands and sons. The missing remain in
limbo between the living and the dead.
REF:
Wendell Phillips
Many survivors are too afraid to return
to their former homes in Srebrenica, and
remain in temporary accommodation in
Tuzla or Sarajevo . Those brave enough
to return find burnt-out shells where
their family homes once stood.
Unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina
is around 40%. The factories which
provided the majority of jobs before the
war now lie abandoned.
REF:
Islamic Relief
Many widows are illiterate or lack the
qualifications necessary for the few
jobs available.
Most orphans in Bosnia survive on the
small Widow's Pension provided by the
state. It is too small to cover costs
such as healthcare.
REF:
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief has been working in
Bosnia since 1992, before the war that
left 200,000 Bosnian Muslims dead and at
least 2 million homeless. Islamic
ethical microcredit loans help families
to rebuild their homes or start up small
businesses such as bee-keeping,
strawberry farms and bakeries. Here, a
Srebrenica widow, Sida sits by the
remains of her home and dreams of
rebuilding her life.
REF:
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
