The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the health ministry of the Federation (FBiH), one of Bosnia’s two semi-autonomous regions, have on Monday launched a plan that foresees the establishment of a mechanism aimed at assisting victims of sexual violence during conflicts.

UNFPA representative Aynabat Annamuhamedova said the resource package for the establishment of the mechanism includes “all the information needed for a healthcare or social care provider to deal with the victims of violence that occurred during the conflict.”

“It’s an important milestone” that will not only help the survivors but also the children, she said, adding that “the trauma is often transferred to the next generation.”

It is the first time the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will get this kind of a package that would assist the victims, said Goran Cerkez, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation and Coordination of Strategy Development at the FBiH Ministry of Health.

The document prescribes operational procedures as well as those required for early detection of violence, how to react and how to treat it, he explained.

According to the latest research results, nearly 50 per cent of the country’s women have suffered some sort of violence, he said.

“The situation is very bad regarding the reporting of violence,” he said, explaining that only one in 20 women exposed to violence contacts the police and one quarter even agree that it should stay within the family.

“With this package, we want to increase this visibility and our effectiveness in order to have better detection and intervention,” Cerkez said.