Flooding crisis deepens in BiH, international help rushes in

SARAJEVO, May 19 (Xinhua/Sun) -- Almost a quarter of population were affected and faced with shortage of cleaning water in Bosnia and Herzegovia (BiH) while international teams rushed in to help on Monday.

A total of 950,000 people out of 3.8 million in total of BiH were forced to move to safer ground in the worst flooding in 120 years, said Vjekoslav Bevanda, Chairman of Council of Ministers of BiH.

However, the government decided not to declare a state of emergency for now on all BiH territories.

BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija also warned the population in flooded areas was faced with shortage of clean drinking water.

More than 100,000 houses and other buildings were damaged in flooding and landslides, he noted, adding that the consequences of flooding were "terrifying."

BiH Armed Forces and the EUFOR had dispatched trucks, helicopters to flooding areas, lifting trapped citizens to safe ground.

Meanwhile, the United Nations, the European Uninon, the U.S. and neighboring countries were sending in humanitarian aid, equipment and rescuers into BiH.

There were some 200 teams of rescuers from abroad in flooded areas, according to Bevanda.

In Tuzla, an airplane carrying aid of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) arrived in Tuzla on Monday with filters for water purification, tents, prefabricated toilets and other necessary equipment to combat flooding.

High Representative to BiH Valentin Inzko said on Monday he handed a report to the UN Security Council about the flooding. "BiH needs help again," said Inzko.