ZAGREB, 4 January, 2021 - Croatia's Civil Protection Authority on Sunday presented instructions for better organisation of the delivery of humanitarian aid from abroad.

Donors and organisers of relief aid shipments are asked to provide their data on the e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. before they depart for Croatia.

They are kindly asked to give information about the identity of drivers and other persons engaged in the transport of the aid as well as the registration numbers and kinds of vehicles they are using for the transport.

For instance, the information on whether vehicles are higher than four metres is also necessary.

The providers of the assistance are also asked to announce the border crossing they are going to use as well as the date of the of their planned arrival and departure from the country.

Also, information on the route to their destination is necessary for the better organisation and smooth traffic as well as for the exemption of aid delivery organisers from toll payment.

ZAGREB, 4 January, 2021 - Sisak-Moslavina County head Ivo Zinic said on Sunday that the state of disaster should definitely be declared following the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the county on December 29.

"The county head can only declare a state of emergency following natural disasters based on assessments by the towns and communities affected. I believe this earthquake was much more destructive and that the state of disaster should be declared," Zinic told the N1 broadcaster.

The December 29 earthquake claimed seven lives and caused extensive material damage in the areas of Petrinja and Sisak in Sisak-Moslavina County.

Zinic noted that the insufficient quantity of container homes and camper vans was the main problem at present.

"We have received 13,272 requests and inspected 3,972 facilities. There are around 250 camper vans in the field and the needs are much greater. We expect 1,500 mobile homes to be necessary. Their installation will take ten more days because we can install 20-50 mobile homes per day," he said.

The HAC motorway operator said on Sunday that it would not be collecting the road toll on the Zagreb-Sisak motorway until January 31.

HAC stopped collecting the road toll on December 29 to enable emergency services to reach the quake-hit communities in Sisak-Moslavina County, deciding initially not to collect it until January 4.

ZAGREB, 4 January, 2021 - The Sisak General Hospital sections housing gynecology, surgery, ophthalmology and dialysis wards and outpatient clinics are being put into operation again after preliminary inspections of the damage caused by the December 29 earthquake, director Tomislav Dujmenovic has said.

"Owing to the efficiency of our employees we have quickly restored basic care for emergency cases in the field of internal medicine, surgery, infectious diseases, pediatrics and gynecology," Dujmenovic said, noting that the hospital would continue providing medical care for citizens.

The hospital will also provide laboratory, dialysis and radiology services and its dispensary has sufficient quantities of medicines for all conditions, he said.

Patients suspected of being infected with coronavirus will be examined in the clinic for infectious diseases and those in need of hospitalisation will be transferred to Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital and Zagreb Arena sports hall, which has been converted to provide care for patients whose condition is not very serious. All patients who exhibit milder symptoms of the infection will be sent home to recover.

Dujmenovic said that the consequences of the earthquake would be dealt with with construction investments, procurement of modern medical equipment and sustainable solutions as well as continued employee training.

The December 29 earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, caused extensive damage to sections of the Sisak General Hospital, notably the administration building and the old clinic for internal medicine, which are not safe to stay in, as well as to hospital units in Petrinja.

The hospital management has thanked all employees, patients, citizens, volunteers and donors for assistance and understanding.

January 4, 2021 - Am impressive effort from Croatia's entrepreneurs for Petrinja, Glina and Sisak, as well as a transparent option for those looking to the earthquake relief efforts.

One of the challenges for people looking to send donations in the aftermath of the Petrinja earthquake has been where to send the money. As with all disasters, a number of fundraising campaigns spring up, and it is not always obvious how legitimate they are. 

Put that into the Croatian context, which is perhaps not best-known for its transparency with regard to public funds, and it is understandable why many in the diaspora and elsewhere are reluctant to send funds through official channels. 

There are other options of course, and one which I am happy to endorse was set up just three days ago and has already raised more than 1.4 million kuna (almost 200,000 euro) - set up by the Glas Poduzetnika (Voice of Entrepreneurs) Association. (11am update - this number has now passed 1.6 million kuna)

Glas Poduzetnika is an association of private entrepreneurs, whose voice is becoming louder by the day in its demand for change and a better Croatia. With more than 70,000 followers, it was one of the few positives in Croatia to emerge from the ashes of 2020. 

Glad Poduzetnika (UGP) co-founder Drazen Orescanin explained more about the fund and its aims:

Many members of UGP wanted to make a donation but they don't have faith that money donated to Croatian Government will be used to help people, because we have a long history of various corrupt events.

The funds raised will be used to buy housing containers, heaters, other equipment, and construction materials. We will raise funds until the end of February to help as many citizens as possible renovate their housing facilities. UGP will transparently publish the flow of donations and invoices that will confirm what the donated funds were invested in. Our priority is to provide the citizens of Petrinja, Glina, Sisak, and surrounding places a roof over their heads in the upcoming winter months.

Our priority is to provide the citizens of Petrinja, Glina, Sisak, and surrounding places a roof over their heads in the upcoming winter months.

UGP invites all those who want and can help the victims with a donation to pay the above account donations.

Thank you to all of you who will help Sisak-Moslavina County citizens; we know that no one is in an enviable situation due to this corona crisis!

Your UGP!

Glas Poduzetnika chairman Hrvoje Bujas posted a status update on Facebook this morning:

Good morning!

Thank you all from ♥ ️ for your payments, in the first 3 days we collected over 1.4 million kuna.

Our goal is to raise as much money as possible, and show how much the hearts of entrepreneurs, craftsmen, employees in the private sector ... members of UGP, as well as everyone in this Group. Every kuna counts. Every kuna will be purposefully and transparently invested, you know that you can trust us.

Share, like ... let our Voice be heard far away!

And if you want to donate, here is the payment information:

Entrepreneurs for Sisak-Moslavina County in Croatia

You can help too!

Dear members of the Association and all who want to help,

We have opened a fund for donations to help citizens from Sisak-Moslavina County! You can deposit funds to IBAN:

HR6523600001502851531

Payment description: Humanitarian action

Model: HR99

Bank: ZAGREBAČKA BANKA d.d.

Note for call number: If the model HR99 doesn't pass, enter the model 00 and then a number.

Or you can scan a QR code on mobile banking:

or

For payments from abroad:

VOICE OF ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION

PAVLETIĆEVA 1

10000 ZAGREB

SWIFT: ZABAHR2X

IBAN: HR6523600001502851531

Payment description: HUMANITARIAN ACTION

Bank: ZAGREBAČKA BANKA D.D.

You can join the UGP group here.

For the latest updates from Petrinja, follow the TCN section.

January 4, 2021 - The latest HNL news, as Gorica brings on a new coach, and Hajduk a new sports director. 

Siniša Oreščanin was named the new coach of Gorica on Sunday. 

Namely, the third-placed HNL team lost coach Valdas Dambrauskas, who went to Ludogorets, Bulgaria, and sports director Mindaugas Nikoličius, who terminated his contract with Gorica and signed with Hajduk Split.

Index.hr reports that the first wish of the President of Gorica, Nenad Črnek, was the former Osijek coach Zoran Zekić, who recently returned from the Moldovan club Sheriff. On Saturday night, Črnko met with Zekić and Oreščanin and offered them his terms. Zekić asked for time to think, then turned down the offer on Sunday. It was then clear that the new coach would be Siniša Oreščanin, who should sign a contract until the summer of 2022 with the option to extend for another year.

Oreščanin should introduce himself to the team on Monday at 1 pm and immediately start preparations for the continuation of the season and a visit to Pula on January 19 near Istria.

Hajduk announced Mindaugas Nikoličius as the new sports director on Monday. Born on October 5, 1983, in Neringa, Lithuania, he has 16 years of experience in football and signed a contract with Hajduk until the summer of 2024.

He started his first job in football by working for the Lithuanian Football Federation in 2005. In 2006, the Scottish Heart of Midlothian hired him as a sports director and he remained in that position until 2008. Then, in 2010, he accepted the invitation of the Lithuanian club Zalgiris, in which he held the position of sports director and member of the Management Board for seven years.

He spent the last three years in the position of sports director and member of the Management Board of HNK Gorica, with which he terminated his contract and accepted Hajduk's invitation.

During his career as a sports director in these clubs, he won a total of 17 different trophies. He is a lawyer by profession and is fluent in Lithuanian, English, German, and Russian. He speaks and knows the basics of the Croatian language, Hajduk explained on their website of Nikoličius. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 4, 2021 - Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic is interviewed by N1 on the current situation in his town.

Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic said that this morning's earthquake was very strong. He pointed out that the accommodation of people is now the basic problem, because enough food and clothes have arrived.

"This was a blow to everything that is not difficult to hit, because even much smaller blows will bring additional damage. All people who move through the centre will have a problem if a brick falls on their head, a tile… Our nights are traumatised, without sleep, uncertainty, a future in which we urgently need to find a solution. Citizens are on the edge of patience and the capabilities of a normal human being. Today in Petrinja, no one is normal anymore," said the Petrinja mayor.

Regarding the establishment of the Government Crisis Management Headquarters in the area of ​​Petrinja and Sisak, he said: “As far as I know Tomo Medved, he is a very good operative, a very good politician, he needs such an operational strong hand. He is good as a politician, but I think that there should be capable people in Petrinja, Sisak, Glina next to him… I am sure that we, as mayors, will be in the headquarters.”

Commenting on the speed of the state's reaction, Dumbovic pointed out that he could always do better: “The first days were terrible, everyone here risked their lives. In an hour all the teams and available strength were here in Petrinja. The question is what more they could have done. I don't mind wherever the headquarters are, just to have people living here. I am not interested in a headquarters comes here and knows more about and loves my city more than me.”

He pointed out that the first aid of two million kuna arrived the very next day, but he believes that the redistribution was incorrect: “The redistribution was incorrect if it was political and if it was from the county prefect. County prefects have no authority to dispose of money in such a disaster. Only the professionals can distribute that money, the priorities must be the problems that have arisen. Yes, the county prefect gave less money to Petrinja, which suffered the most in the earthquake. Time will show if the distribution is fair, we have a lot of work to do, I do not want politics, but I will be fair and strict when it comes to Petrinja."

He added that he was not interested in the Zagreb Act: “Parliament must debate this in a few days. I am not interested in the Law on Zagreb because these areas still have an elementary struggle for survival. Here, a square meter of a house was 150 euros, in Zagreb the living possibilities are higher than in Petrinja. We can't wait for the paperwork. "

Dumbović says that at the beginning, when thousands of people arrived at once, there was a huge crowd, and they could not coordinate everything because there is "not a single whole building in Petrinja where they would make an office". He considers his communication with the headquarters and people good, and he says about the problem of Petrinja even before the earthquake:

"Unfortunately, obviously Croatia improvises when it does something. The biggest problem in Petrinja was the city's property. Some houses collapsed like a tower of cards. In addition to containers and houses, which are now most needed, the law on spatial planning should be immediately simplified, to simplify the bureaucracy for the houses we will build. They have enough food and clothes.”

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

 Januray 4, 2021 - Another earthquake was felt around 7:50 a.m. in Petrinja and the surrounding area. The quake was also felt in Zagreb.Another earthquake was felt around 7:50 a.m. in Petrinja and the surrounding area. The quake was also felt in Zagreb.

The Seismological Institute reported it was 4.2 on the Richter scale.

#potres (#earthquake) 04.01. u 07:49 kod Petrinje, M4.2. Opširnije na https://t.co/gx5MbPj5KC. Ako ste osjetili potres, molimo javite na https://t.co/RJDaIJlwpM

— Seizmološka služba HR (@seizmo_hr) January 4, 2021

"This morning, January 4, 2021, at 7 hours and 49 minutes, seismologists from the Seismological Service of the Republic of Croatia recorded a fairly strong earthquake with the epicenter near Petrinja," the Seismological Service reported.

The earthquake shook during the show on live television, in which the deputy mayor of Glina, Branka Bakšić Mitić, was also a guest on the phone. She was the first to feel the concussion. "Here he is again," she exclaimed around 7:50, and then the earthquake was felt in the Zagreb studio.

A few minutes later she said it was 4.8 in strength.

Index reports that 46 quakes were recorded yesterday in the area, as well as another measuring 3.5 this morning at 04:20.

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

January 4, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as T’way plans to launch Seoul-Croatia in late 2021, and Ryanair announces Naples-Zadar. 

Ex Yu Aviation has reported that Korean low-cost carrier T’way Air will operate flights between Seoul and Croatia at the end of this year. 

Namely, a letter of intent has been signed to lease three Airbus A330-300 aircraft for new medium and long-haul routes. The Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has already given the Korean airline the necessary permits to run four weekly commercial flights between Seoul and Croatia.

This news comes as T’way plans to bounce back this year after a turbulent 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline currently has a fleet of 27 Boeing 737-800s, which operate on flights to Vietnam, China, Japan, and Taiwan. 

Ex Yu Aviation adds that by leasing three A330-300 jets later this year, new destinations are on the horizon for the Korean low-cost carrier, and in addition to Croatia, they will include Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia to their flight network this year as well. 

Recall, Korean Air canceled its Seoul-Zagreb route in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, without any plans to relaunch the service this year. However, the airline is said to have kept its permit for 3x weekly flights to Croatia and could choose to bring back the Zagreb service at any time, according to Damir Kušen, the Croatian Ambassador to South Korea. 

In a normal year, Croatia welcomes around half a million Korean tourists annually. Over 43,000 passengers flew on Korean Air between Seoul and Zagreb in 2019, though many Korean tourists are also interested in visiting Dubrovnik. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, has announced a new route to Croatia in the 2021 summer flight schedule.

Namely, from June 2021, the Irish low-cost airline will launch Naples-Zadar, on which Ryanair will operate for the first time.

There have been no direct commercial lines between Zadar and Naples so far, but that will change this summer. From June 4, Ryanair will introduce the mentioned line with two flights a week, on Mondays and Fridays, with B737-800 aircraft.

The line will be in operation until the end of September (September 27), during which time Ryanair will operate 34 return flights. In total, from the beginning of June to the end of September, this well-known low-cost airline will offer a total of 12,852 seats between Naples and Zadar.

Tickets for this route are already on sale on the airline's official website.

Recall that Ryanair has withdrawn from sale several lines to Croatia for the summer of 2021, but it is expected that most of them will be released by the end of February.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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