During the meeting, State Secretary Kuprešak pointed out Croatia’s interest for intensifying the co-operation with WFP, familiarising Deputy Executive Director Sisulu with the Croatian Government’s decision to found an interdepartmental working group for humanitarian aid and development policy, with the aim of developing a strategy and setting up an institutional framework for the humanitarian aid issues.
State Secretary Kuprešak also emphasized the Croatian experience in dealing with the consequences of war and a firm commitment to the realisation of the UN Millennium Development Goals, stating Croatia’s readiness to increase the current level of humanitarian and development assistance in accordance with the needs and available capacities. He said that Croatia, as an EU membership candidate country, in determining the geographical and thematic priorities will be guided by the principles defined by the EU as well as the experiences of its members.
Deputy Executive Director Sisulu presented the activities of the World Food Programme, the world’s largest international organisation for delivering humanitarian aid in food.
World Food Programme is one of the main UN agencies in charge of the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals. Its activities include crises area operations, extended humanitarian operations, special and development operations, offering assistance to natural disaster victims, refugees and displaced persons, the hunger- and poverty-stricken, and women.
In 1999, Croatia sent humanitarian aid to WFP in the form of one-time aid in food for the crisis area of Kosovo and Macedonia. In 2005, Croatia offered humanitarian aid for the tsunami victims, as well as the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Recently, Croatia has also offered a monetary contribution for Lebanon through the Croatian Red Cross.