Survivor assistance action points

• Complete the national survivor survey.
• Revive regular national coordination of survivor assistance and complete the unified victim database in order to improve implementation of services according to needs.
• Ensure that survivors’ representative organizations have adequate resources to be representative in all relevant fora and carry out survivor assistance activities that fill gaps in government services, including peer support outreach and targeted psychological assistance.
• Since 1999, survivor assistance services function primarily with national funding and coordination but were not always equally available. A new psychological assistance center opened in 2013. Croatia needs stronger implementation of disability legislation.

Survivor assistance planning and coordination

International survivor assistance commitments and obligations

Laws and policies

Republic of Croatia law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, but it was not always effectively enforced. Similarly, while the law mandates access to buildings for persons with disabilities, enforcement measures were lacking.[8] Every employer with at least 20 employees is required to fulfill an employment quota of persons with disabilities in appropriate working conditions.[9]

Major Developments

The majority of services provided by civil society organizations have ceased.[10] The level of resources, however, remained stable.[11] Data collection on mine survivors as part of the four-year Swiss-Croatian Cooperation program was set to start in 2019.[12]

Needs assessment

CROMAC continued to provide advisory support to mine victims and their families and to collect data on mine victims and their needs during mine action non-technical survey, with the aim to establish a comprehensive database of all mine/ERW victims and their families.[13] The Swiss-Croatian Cooperation program will fund the establishment of the comprehensive mine victim database, as part of the Demining and Socio-economic Integration project.[14] The program will also include an assessment of the needs of survivors recorded on the database and the provision of training and other services aiming to increase their employability.[15]

Medical care and rehabilitation

All mine/ERW survivors were entitled to healthcare and social protection measures. Basic assistance, from first aid to informing all survivors and their families about their rights, was generally provided through government institutions.[16] The Croatian Institute for Health Insurance provides healthcare and covers the costs of basic orthopedic devices for mine/ERW survivors.[17] There was an improvement in emergency response time, 21 county-level institutes for emergency healthcare, and availability of helicopters from the Croatian army when urgent transport of patients to a more equipped medical facility was required.[18] The Zabok General Hospital and Hospital for Croatian Veterans exclusively provided medical services for Croatian war veterans, war disabled, and their family members.[19]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

There were 21 psychosocial interdisciplinary centers in Croatia, including four regional centers for psychological services.[20] The provision of continuing psychosocial support remained weak throughout 2018.[21]

Cross-cutting

Access to physical rehabilitation services for people living in remote areas remained an issue.[22]

Survivor assistance providers and activities