Croatian child at his father’s funeral in 1991. Photo by Ron Haviv.
At a War Photo Museum in Dubrovnik, I spent a long time reading histories and looking at photos illustrating a decade of war in the Balkans. There were three major conflicts during that period. At the museum, they had collected the work of renowned photojournalists who covered the wars. There were many photos on display but I decided to focus on the ones taken of children. The museum staff said it was just fine for me to take photos of the journalists’ work when I said I wanted to share them on my blog.
Croatians including children being expelled by Serb forces after the fall of Vukovar. 1991 photo by Ron Haviv
The first war was the battle for Croatian independence from Yugoslavia. It happened between 1991-1995. There was internal conflict in Croatia between Croatian Serbs who wanted to stay part of Yugoslavia and the rest of the country that wanted independence. The Serbs who had controlling power inside the Yugoslav army wanted to conquer as much of Croatia as they could so they could have their own large Serbian state inside Croatia.
Young girls in Dubrovnik collect rain water after the Yugoslav Army cuts off Dubrovnik’s water supply. Photo by Peter Northall 1991
By 1992 when a cease-fire was declared the Serbian state only occupied a quarter of Croatia. With the backing of the United Nations, Croatia launched a campaign to take over the Serbian state and in 1995 succeeded. 200,000 Serbs from the Serbian state in Croatia fled to Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia. Croatia was intact and independent but had paid a huge cost in loss of property and some 20,000 lives.
Serbian child prepares to leave his village in Bosnia after an attack. 1992 Ron Haviv
The second conflict was the Bosnian War for Independence from Yugoslavia. It took place between 1992 and 1995. The Bosnia and Herzegovina regions which wanted independence from Yugoslavia were supported by the Croatians. As in the Croatian War of Independence, there were Bosnian Serbs who wanted their own Bosnian Serb state and they were fighting with the Yugoslav forces.
Bosnian children in the no man’s land between Serbian and Croatian forces after an offence by the Bosnian army ended 1994. Photo by Emmanuel Ortiz
Women and children mourn after the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. Photo by Ron Haviv
This war included the massacre at Srebrenica in which the Bosnian Serb army killed 8000 men and boys. In the aftermath 25,000 Bosnian women and children were forcibly transferred and abused.
A boy who survived the Srebrenica Massacre in a refugee camp- Photo by Tarik Samarah
The city of Mostar was the site of a siege by the Croatian forces for nine months during the Bosnian War.
Bosnian girl bikes past piles of rubble during a ceasefire in Mostar in 1994. Photo by Wade Goddard
The city was heavily damaged by the shelling that took place.
Women and children find shelter in the basement of a damaged building after they are expelled from their homes in Mostar by Croat/Bosnian forces. 1993 Photo by Wade Goddard
The Bosnian war ended with a peace treaty and division of land between the warring factions in December of 1995.
Kosovar boy looks through a bullet hole in a bus window in 1998. Photo by Yannis Behrakis
The final conflict was the Kosovo War which lasted from 1998-1999. Albanian Kosovo separatists supported by the United Nations wanted independence from Yugoslavia.
Displaced Albanian boy taking refuge in the woods as the Yugoslav army burns his village in Kosovo 1999. Photo by Alexandra Boulat
The Serbian controlled Yugoslav army expelled all western journalists and 800,000 Albanians from Kosovo. They again carried out mass executions, murders, and rapes.
Kosovo Albanians prepare to bury a baby who died of exposure after her family was forced to flee their home in 1998. Photo by Ron Haviv
On June 3, 1999, the Serbian president Milosevic suddenly accepted NATO’s demands for ending the conflict over Kosovo. When the war ended NATO helped the Albanians who had been expelled return home. They were angry and attacked the Serbs burning their houses and destroying their property.
The only child left in the Bosnian village of Lukomir after the war. Photo by Ziyah Gafic in 2000.
It is sometimes hard to believe that the area of the world where we are traveling now was coming to the close of a period of horrific conflict just two decades ago. Today it seems like such a peaceful, beautiful place. My visit to the War Photo Museum in Dubrovnic was a sad reminder that human beings while capable of doing much good for one another, are also capable of being brutally violent towards each other. Wars are hell for everyone, but especially for children.
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