In 2020, a series of earthquakes hit Croatia, with a 6.4-magnitude earthquake devastating the historic central Croatian town of Petrinja, the strongest in the country since 1996. Billions of dollars worth of damages were reported in the aftermath of the earthquake, with a significant loss of infrastructure and, worse, human casualties. Displacing many affected community members, the impact and aftershocks of the earthquake led to collective trauma.
In 2021, SABIC donated 25 Relief Housing Units (RHUs) to the Croatian Red Cross to support their efforts to provide relief services to affected communities. This ushered in a recovery period one year following the disaster. The RHUs were installed in Sisak, where psychosocial support programmes and creative workshops are offered to the community.
“Since people were left without homes due to the earthquake, and this new situation is already difficult for them, we try to make their everyday life easier through creative workshops, relaxation, and joint communication.”
Sara Vladić, Croatian Red Cross
Sara Vladić, Coordinator for accommodation and volunteers for the Croatian Red Cross, provided updates on the current usages of the RHUs, speaking of their support to accommodate community groups and protection against inclement weather. The RHU community centre in Sisak continues to host the most dynamic activities for both adults and children in the community. At the same time, additional RHUs are used as storage for equipment required for blood donation drives.
“The RHU is spacious, and it helps us to carry out activities with the community during unfavourable weather conditions so that even those days are eventful and relaxing.”
Sara Vladić, Croatian Red Cross
