A devastating earthquake with the epicenter near Petrinja has activated the international civil protection community to provide urgent assistance.
After Croatia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 29 December 2020 and requested winter tents for 6-8 persons, interior lamps, lighting balloons/towers, electric heaters, folding beds, sleeping beds and container homes, the first urgent assistance came from Slovenia the same day around 11 PM. Four containers, 10 tents, 10 heaters, 100 beds and 300 sleeping bags arrived at the Civil Protection Authority warehouse in Jastrebarsko, from where they are being dispatched according to requirements.
Numerous other countries came to Croatia’s aid as well. On December 30, assistance came from Italy: 100 tents; Slovakia: 44 heaters and 120 sleeping bags; Hungary: 250 beds and 250 sleeping bags; Greece: 53 tents, 51 wood-burning stoves, 665 sleeping bags, 900 beds (arrived December 30 through January 1 via land and air); Austria: 83 containers (78 sent on December 30 and five more today, January 3), 200 lamps, three lighting balloons, 14 heaters and 470 beds; Romania: 50 tents, 100 beds, 200 sleeping bags and 14 containers (arrived on December 31). The Czech Republic sent 600 beds, 1200 sleeping bags, 10 heaters, two lamps, one lighting tower, 1200 blankets. On January 1, Portugal sent 500 beds via air and Bulgaria sent 100 heaters, 500 beds and 284 sleeping sets.
On January 1 via land, assistance arrived from France (240 tents), Turkey (272 heaters) and Lithuania (300 sleeping bags). On January 2, four trucks arrived from Sweden, while the remaining 11 trucks are expected today, January 3, from Sweden (60 tents and 2000 beds) and Germany (500 sleeping bags).
An unspecified number of winter tents through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was announced yesterday by Finland.
Today, 480 tents are expected to arrive from Turkey via land, bilaterally.
On January 1, Poland bilaterally sent 10 tents, 150 beds and 150 sleeping bags. On January 3, Bulgaria will deliver a supply of water for Petrinja. On January 4, Turkey will dispatch 100 containers via sea, along with operative forces.
The Republic of Korea offered 10,000 COVID-19 test kits, which has been accepted.
On January 31, additional 100 containers were requested through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Currently, there are no active offers.
Croatia has provided accommodation and food for crews from Romania, France and Sweden.
We would like to express gratitude to all those have answered our call for help and contacted the Civil Protection Authority.
Source: Civil Protection Authority