28/11/1992 | Voices from the Drina

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The first UNHCR food convoy has arrived in Srebrenica. It’s a miracle. They’ve finally reached us! The Blue Helmets are here! My eyes are filled with tears. Maybe the shooting will stop now. Maybe the Chetniks will stop shelling us. We’ve endured hell but we’re going to be saved.

The soles of my only pair of shoes have crumbled away. They’ve been cracked for a long time, and it’s no longer possible to patch them. No shoes mean I can’t leave the house to collect wood, water or food

Hundreds of men, women and children are rushing towards the UNHCR convoy. One of the drivers threw a bag of sweets out of the window, and the children threw themselves into the mud to claim it. This feels surreal.

The first UNHCR aid convoy has reached the enclave of Srebrenica. A crowd of people has gathered on both sides of the column. The crowd are wearing rags, the UN soldiers their warm winter clothes; the crowd are pale, starved and frozen, the UN soldiers ruddy and bursting with health.

These UN strangers are our last hope.