Hundreds of migrants, including small children and the elderly, are camped out in abysmal conditions in north-west Bosnia, only kilometres away from EU member Croatia.
While there are various informal settlements dotted around the region, the makeshift camp on a muddy field near the town of Velika Kladusa is believed to have been set up in recent weeks.
There are official, more organised camps in the area but many migrants prefer to stay as close as they can to the Croatian border – where they say they are sometimes repelled violently by security officials.
There is no running water, lavatories, showers or electricity and a freezing Bosnian winter is fast approaching. Some of the makeshift shelters amount to no more than sticks covered by nylon sheeting.
Enver Hafuric, from the SOS aid group – which was distributing medical supplies and warm meals – said appeals for parents living in the field to bring their children to official camps had failed.
“They want to be closer to the border, they want to go [away] from here, they want to go to the countries of the European Union,” he told AP.
