OREANDA-NEWS. August 21, 2014. Following the catastrophic floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina in May this year, ArcelorMittal Zenica, and ArcelorMittal Prijedor have announced they will donate USD350,000 each to the flood-affected local communities, for projects to rebuild the damaged areas as well as landslide prevention.

So far, both sites – Zenica is home to ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina while Prijedor hosts iron ore mining operations - have launched a string of initiatives to support the local communities affected by the floods. In Zenica, the company has donated food, drinking water, sanitation equipment, nappies, baby food, over 5,000 litres of fuel for the machinery used to clear the areas affected, drainage pipes and steel rope, as well as protective face masks,  shoes, clothes, and tools.

In Prijedor, apart from donating food, hygiene, drinking water, financial aid, and emergency goods packages, ArcelorMittal has helped restore the heavily damaged parts of the railway linking Prijedor and Zenica by contributing manpower, equipment and more than 10,000m? of limestone.

In both sites, company representatives have visited colleagues who were directly impacted and whose homes were flooded or damaged in the aftermath of the landslides.

Three months’ worth of rain fell on the region in just three days in May, creating the worst floods since records began 120 years ago. Approximately 1.5 million people, or 30% of the population in Bosnia, were affected by the floods. The rain caused nearly 300 landslides in the country, burying dozens of houses and cars and further complicating relief efforts.

The US\\$700,000 donation will be directed at repairing the significant infrastructure damage, as well as landslide prevention and preparedness for future floods. The company’s management are working with the local authorities and other relevant institutions and organisations to determine priorities and distribute the funds in the most effective way.

Biju Nair, CEO of ArcelorMittal Zenica, said: ‘’ArcelorMittal brings enormous economic benefits to the city of Zenica and the country as a whole. The company’s commitment is also to be a highly responsible corporate citizen. This donation underlines our commitment to provide practical and vital assistance where it is most needed.’’

Mladen Jelaca, CEO of ArcelorMittal Prijedor , added: ‘’From the very beginning we stood by our employees and our community and we will keep on doing so. We have always responded in these situations in accordance with our capabilities, and as a socially responsible company, we will keep responding.’’