From 17 to 22 January 2023, Kosovo experienced severe flooding with a particularly devastating impact in several municipalities. Approximately 21,500 people or 3,580 households were directly affected. Some 850 homes were severely flooded and at least 80 families will unlikely be able to use them in near future. The most intense damage was recorded in the municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica, which saw more than 400 houses flooded. 

The capacity of these communities to respond to such emergencies is limited. In many cases, pre-existing vulnerability factors – most notably low income and the related substandard housing – exacerbated the flooding impact and posed a burden on the recovery effort. In response, the UN Development Coordinator’s Office consolidated a Flood Response and Early Recovery Plan, which combines the resources and mandates of ten UN agencies, funds and programmes to provide a substantial contribution to the immediate and mid-term recovery. 

Among other elements, the Plan encompasses the delivery of emergency packages, including food and non-food items. Under this framework and in line with its mandate, UNFPA has focused its attention on specific needs groups, predominantly women of reproductive age and  pregnant women . In early March 2023, a Belgian donation of menstrual hygiene kits was received and the organization allocated an adequate number of its standard dignity kits, whose distribution to the women, girls, and families in need has started. 

With the Red Cross of Kosovo as the implementing partner,  on 27 March 2023 representatives of the UNFPA and Diplomatic Office of the Kingdom of Belgium in Pristina participated in the distribution of the dignity, menstrual hygiene kits and maternity packs at the most affected municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica to women, girls and pregnant women affected by the recent flooding. This included recipients in the village of Llaushë and Tushil, as determined by the Red Cross in line with the socioeconomic vulnerability criteria of this donation.

Some of the stories here there were truly upsetting: "We left our house hastily, without packing any dry clothes, medications, or other essentials. I quickly grabbed my baby and fled, the experience was traumatic. Unfortunately, we lost all our possessions. Presently, our family of 11 is crammed up in a single room, awaiting the reconstruction of our house." – Explained a mother of an 8-month-old baby to us.

Over the coming weeks, UNFPA and Red Cross will continue providing the dignity, maternal and menstrual kits to the women and girls in need across all the affected municipalities. This will include the rural and urban areas of Gjakovë/Đjakovica, Leposaviq/Leposavić, Mitrovica South, Skenderaj/Srbica, Zubin Potok, Mitrovica North, Zveçan/Zvečan, Istog/Istok, Klinë/Klina, Rahovec/Orahovac and Podujevë/Podujevo, where the January flooding damage was most significant.