On 11 July 1995, Bosnian Serb soldiers captured the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over the next few days soldiers systematically murdered more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys.
It was the largest massacre carried out on European soil since World War II, and one of dozens of similar massacres committed by Bosnian Serb forces as they carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War.
The Bosnian War (1992-1995) engulfed the entire country, killing more than 100,000 people and forcing over 2 million from their homes.
The list of atrocities committed during the conflict is long, but the horrors perpetrated at Srebrenica stand alone in their scale. 30 years later, mass graves are still being uncovered, and bodies are still being identified.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, Islamic Relief is honouring the memory of victims and paying tribute to the strength of those who survived.
Decades of support for survivors
Throughout the decades since the Srebrenica Genocide, Islamic Relief has continued to stand by the side of survivors.
We have supported returnees and survivors of the war through numerous emergency and development programmes, which today include agricultural and livestock assistance, orphan sponsorship, and support for those impacted by gender-based violence. In the past, we have also provided scholarships for children from vulnerable families.
Every year, we distribute Ramadan food packs and qurbani meat packages to people in need. In winter, we provide blankets, clothing and heating materials to help families cope during the bitterly cold months.
Islamic Relief began working in Bosnia in 1992 just 1 month after the outbreak of war. At the time, we were one of the only international organisations operating on the ground to provide life-saving aid to people suffering under the horrifying weight of war.
And now, 30 years later, we are sharing the experiences of survivors as they reflect on the difficulties of the war and the challenges of piecing their lives back together in the decades since.
‘Never again’
In the wake of the Srebrenica Genocide, the world declared ‘Never again’.
On this solemn anniversary, we urge the international community to remember the lessons of the past.
International governments owe it to Srebrenica’s victims and survivors to prevent genocide from ever happening again.
To learn more about the Srebrenica Genocide, the events of the Bosnian War and how Islamic Relief have stood by the side of vulnerable Bosnians for 30 years, please read the full collection of stories here.
