shelled and sniped, people were cut off from food, medicine, water and electricity. Thousands of civilians were killed and wounded. During the war, people in Bosnia and Herzegovina witnessed every conceivable human rights violation or abuse – ranging from ethnic cleansing and rape to mass executions and starvation.

Today, most of those forced to flee their homes during the 1991-1995 conflict have either returned or locally integrated.

However, the remaining refugees and displaced in this part of Europe are one of the five priority protracted refugee situations worldwide for UNHCR. Recently, UNHCR has welcomed renewed efforts of the governments in the region aimed at speeding housing solutions for some 74,000 most vulnerable and needy refugees and displaced. The joint regional programme on durable solutions for refugees and displaced is thelatest initiative to close this displacement chapter in South East Europe. It is a commitment by all concerned governments in the region (namely, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro) and an initiative supported by the international community.

In order to support this effort, the international donor conference in Sarajevo is scheduled for 24 April 2012. It is hoped to raise up to 500 million Euros needed to find housing solutions for many of the remaining refugees, internally displaced and returnees. UNHCR supports this process and will monitor its implementation in order to ensure that the right people are selected and subsequently receive adequate housing solutions – 17 years after the end of conflict.

For UNHCR, the humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region has been one of