Red Cross is running out of supplies, national buffer stock to be activated
Croatian government established a Crisis Management Committee in regards to the influx of migrants / refugees to Croatia. It will be headed by the Minister of Interior Ranko Ostojić while members and deputies are coming from other ministries and the National Protection and Rescue Directorate.
Minister Ostojić was in Tovarnik last night where most of the refugees and migrants are crossing to Croatia and where they are then transported by trains to refugee camps in the country: ” At the moment, Croatian police has total control of Croatian borders, however, if the number of refugees increases dramatically, we will have to completely change the way we are handling things now” Ostojić commented.
Prime Minister Milanović said that our capacities are limited: “We don’t know if we’ll be able to register all refugees if their number continues to increase at this rate. We must think of Croatia’s interests first, but I think we’ve already shown that we know how to be humane”.
President Grabar Kitarović also commented on the current situation and stated that she is not happy with how things were developing last night “Yes, Croatia showed its great heart, but I would like to point out that safety of Croatian citizens comes first as well as the stability of our country. I think that a far too many refugees entered Croatia yesterday uncontrollably and there is just no need for so many of them to enter the country in one day since we just don’t have the capacity to see to their needs and take proper care of them. I am asking for a tougher control of our border crossings because we cannot have people coming into the country through corn fields”.
In the meantime, President of the Croatian Red Cross Robert Markt has called for the activation of the country’s buffer stock since the food all their food supplies have been used up.
Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak addressed the buffer stock issue immediately stating that Croatia has enough supplies to last us for several weeks and if they are depleting quickly, we will acquire more. As you have seen during the flood crisis, people had enough supplies then, and they will have enough now”.
