The situation for migrants who were left stranded in Bosnia and Herzegovina after their tent camp burnt down has "improved significantly", the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.
But the organisation still holds concerns for up to 1,500 migrants who have not been accommodated inside new heated tents set up weeks after fire destroyed the camp at Lipa, in the north-west of the Balkan country.
Scores of migrants had endured miserable conditions in the freezing cold since late December following the fire. The situation was compounded when local authorities refused to open a nearby centre in Bihac after an outcry from residents, leaving the migrants to sleep in the outdoors.
Peter Van der Auweraert, of the IOM, told The National all 900 migrants still at Lipa were rehoused inside the tents on Monday.
"While the conditions will remain basic, the humanitarian situation of those people has improved significantly," he said.
"They were spending the night outside before, so that’s a very positive development that we have seen. Both in terms of improvement of the humanitarian situation, but also the fact that the state has taken responsibility for this and will be running the camp."
However, he warned a further 1,500 migrants faced grim prospects elsewhere in the country.
"We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance, but in terms of access to shelter, I don’t see a solution around the corner for those people," he added.
On Sunday, refugee rights group Pro Asyl urged the German government to rehome stranded migrants who were still at the fire-ravaged camp.
New figures showed the number of people seeking asylum in Germany in 2020 fell 30 per cent compared with 2019, with closed borders and coronavirus lockdowns blamed for the decrease.
Pro Asyl said the situation in Bosnia was urgent, given the harsh winter weather.
“The current asylum figures show Germany has room,” it said.
The Lipa camp was set up hastily during the summer when Europe tightened border restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The camp lacked basic necessities such as water and electricity. Aid agencies pulled out after saying it was unsustainable.
The centre was burnt down by some migrants who were forced to leave, police said. It forced the thousands still living there out into the cold as authorities scrambled to find alternative accommodation.
Officials identified the centre in Bihac as appropriate and began transferring the migrants there on buses, but local authorities refused to take them. The vehicles returned to Lipa and the migrants were forced off.
Mr Van der Auweraert said the issue of the migrants being resettled inside the European Union was complicated as most had already left Greece, an EU member state, before getting stuck at the border of a non-member state.
"Some people in Bosnia and Herzegovina say they should be (resettled in the EU). The question becomes if they take people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, why not from Turkey, why not from Lebanon and Jordan," he said.
"It’s a difficult discussion to have."
Last week, the EU gave €3.5 million ($4.2m) in aid after describing the situation as a "humanitarian disaster".
“Long-term solutions are urgently needed,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
“We urge the authorities not to leave people out in the cold, without access to sanitary facilities in the midst of a global pandemic.”
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Company%20profile
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdinburgh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%204%20%3Cem%3E(unchanged)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBahrain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2015)%3C%2Fem%3E%3B%20second%20daily%20service%20from%20January%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKuwait%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2016)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMumbai%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAhmedabad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColombo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202%20%3Cem%3E(from%20January%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMuscat%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cem%3E%20%3C%2Fem%3EMarch%201%3Cem%3E%20(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELyon%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBologna%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Emirates%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Read more about the coronavirus
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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