December the 30th, 2020 – Following the most recent devastating Croatian earthquake which struck the continental towns of Petrinja and Sisak the hardest, neighbouring countries such as Serbia, Macedonia and Slovenia have shown their support and offers of help.
As Index writes, a strong show of support for Croatia was sent out by the Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia, Zoran Zaev. Today, the Macedonian Government decided to send six million Macedonian denars (about 734,000 kuna) in financial aid to the Republic of Croatia, as he announced on Facebook.
“At a recent session, the government decided on sending financial assistance of six million denars to Croatia after the strong earthquake struck Petrinja. Solidarity is our first impulse at the moment and we’re going to provide assistance in accordance with what is needed.
I’m providing my strong support to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and all the people of Croatia affected by the earthquake. On behalf of all the citizens of Northern Macedonia, I’m expressing my condolences to the victims,” he wrote in his post.
Slovenia has offered tents, beds and heaters for Croatian earthquake victims
Slovenian leaders were also quick to offer aid to neighbouring Croatia, including tents, beds and heaters for the victims. Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Twitter that he spoke with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic immediately after the Croatian earthquake struck and offered Slovenia’s help.
“Our protection and rescue administration is on standby and in direct contact with those responsible in Croatia,” Jansa wrote.
President Borut Pahor said that he too had talked with his Croatian counterpart, Zoran Milanovic, and expressed Slovenia’s solidarity and readiness to help its neighbour. Minister of Defense Matej Tonin stated that he had put the army’s main logistics centre in Roje on standby so that everything would be ready if it was necessary to send aid into Croatia, such as tents, beds, heating devices and the like.
Slovenia is also ready to offer experts for damage assessment, Tonin added.
Serbia is offering help
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia was ready to provide any kind of assistance Croatia might need after the earthquake struck the town of Petrinja.
“I hope that it passed with minimal casualties, we’ll provide every help we can. I want them to recover and quickly rebuild all of their facilities,” Vucic said during a visit to Zajecar, where he learned about the Croatian earthquake striking Petrinja, Sisak and the surrounding areas.
“If we can help in any way as a country – then we will help. I’m very sorry for what has happened and Serbia is ready to provide any kind of help, financial, technical, whatever it may be,” Vucic repeated.
Today’s earthquake, the epicentre of which was right in the area of Petrinja, was also felt in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, especially on the higher floors of skyscrapers in New Belgrade (Novi Beograd).
Rescuers from Bosnia and Herzegovina are ready to go to Croatia
Neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina has offered Croatia its own rescue teams to search for more victims of this devastating Croatian earthquake, and top Bosnian officials have expressed their condolences for the victims.
The security ministry said it had offered specialised search and rescue teams to help rescue those still trapped from the rubble. Two specialist teams from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 42 members and a team from Republika Srpska with 18 rescuers are on standby and awaiting the consent of the Croatian Government to head into the affected areas.
All three members of the collective presidency have sent their condolences to President Zoran Milanovic, and Denis Zvizdic expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Andrej Plenovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic for the situation.
Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik said he regretted the scenes he saw coming from Petrinja and other Croatian cities, expressing his country’s readiness to offer any kind of assistance. The Bosniak member of the state leadership, Sefik Dzaferovic, said that he received the news with deep sadness.
The Croatian earthquake that has almost totally destroyed Petrinja was also strongly felt in Bosnia and Herzegocina as well, causing material damage to buildings in Bihac, Cazin, Velika Kladusa and Bosanska Dubica.
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