The first information that had arrived before our arrival told of a situation that was completely controllable and manageable by the forces put to work, but it was enough the journey from the center to the camp to see a very high number of foreigners, who now crowd the streets and the parks. During our first visit to the Bihać camp, we did not think to find so many people gathered on a small hill, distributed around the “Đački dom”, the student’s house, an unfinished building, without windows, doors, sanitary ware; in which most go the migrants find refuge. It’s very dangerous the fact that the windows are not equipped with protections, thinking even the kids that could hurt themselves playing, but this is just one of the many problems in the camp.
On rainy days inside the building penetrates the rainwater that filters through the ceiling, making the building a humid and not very welcoming area, but nothing compared to the situation of people camping around the structure inside small tents where entire families live. The hygienic situation is bad, IOM (International Organization for Migrants) provided some containers with baths and showers, but there are too many people and these services offered are not enough for everyone. So now people  has made the surrounding nature its own “toilet”, making needs on the whole hill and throwing waste everywhere, without a sense of civilization. Most of the people present are men, but there are also a good number of families looking for a better situation for their children who are unaware of the situation and they only think about playing and having fun. Bihać was known for the excellent quality of the air and the cleanliness of an environment immersed in nature; the city is crossed by the Una, a river that along its path forms several small waterfalls that make it a real pleasure to stay in one of the many places on the edge of the river. But now, all this natural spectacle is polluted by excessive waste, which is constantly increasing.

GALLERy