The migrants and refugees residing in the area of Bosnia's north-western town of Velika Kladusa are still in the open, left to themselves. The situation is bordering catastrophe. The humanitarian and sanitary conditions are appalling. The situation is no better for the migrants spending their nights at the Maljevac border crossing.

Tents near the Bosnia-Croatia border crossing of Maljevac are improvised, made of cellophane and tape. There is no electricity and there are shortages of water, too. Huge piles of rubbish attract various animals.

“Every man here has a problem, a big problem. Sometimes we have food, but there is no life here. In 15-30 days snow will fall and the nights are already too cold. I’m only human,” a migrant called Rashid Khan from Bangladesh told N1.

Many complain that humanitarian organisations’ work here is minimal. Sometimes the local Red Cross brings all three meals at once. Migrants often eat only once in 24 hours.

Director of Velika Kladusa’s Prva elementary school, Zehida Bihorac-Odobasic, who was with the migrants flocking to Velika Kladusa because of its relatively close position to the border with Croatia, told N1 that they are still able to help the migrants but that no one expected the situation to turn into an endless agony.

“They have absolutely no idea of the situation they are in, here. When I show them some photos of what the winter is like here, they say ‘no, our winter is like October in Bosnia.’ A hungry and cold man is ready to do anything,” she said. “So far we’ve had no major incident, but without a systemic solution the situation will escalate and who will bear the consequences then?”

“We’re begging you, help us. Tell the rest of the world that we’re begging for help. We want them to see us. If you can do anything for us, now is the time. We can’t stand this no longer,” Majid from Iran told N1.

While the Croatian side of the border remains closed, a number of migrants from the Bihac area (near Velika Kladusa) refused to be taken to one of the migrant centres where they could sleep in warm beds. Responsibility for the situation is shifted from one institution to another.

The International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) said that all the migrants were offered accommodation in one of the migrant centres which could take them in and that those who remained sleeping in the open or in tents in the Velika Kladusa area are the ones who refused to move due to their own reasons.  

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