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Casualties and Victim Assistance
Casualties
Casualties in 2009
|
Casualties in 2009 |
7 (2008: 9) |
|
Casualties by outcome |
4 killed; 3 injured (2008: 3 killed; 6 injured) |
|
Casualties by device type |
7 antipersonnel mines |
In its Article 7 transparency report for 2009, Croatia reported seven antipersonnel mine casualties for 2009. All casualties were men; four were civilians and three were deminers.[1] This represented a decrease from the nine landmine casualties identified for 2008 and was the lowest annual casualty figure since the start of data collection. However, the number of deminer casualties was the same in both years.[2] Since 2003, the Croatian Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) did not record casualties which occurred outside of official landmine suspected areas, such as areas affected only by cluster munitions remnants or other explosive remnants of war (ERW).[3]
CROMAC recorded 1,920 mine/ERW casualties between 1991 and the end of 2009 (500 people killed and 1,420 injured). The annual casualty rate continuously decreased from 2004 to the end of 2009.[4]
Between 1993 and 1995, some 206 casualties occurring during the use of cluster munitions were reported. An additional 32 casualties from incidents involving unexploded submunitions between 1993 and 2007 were recorded.[5]
Victim Assistance
The total number of mine/ERW survivors in Croatia is unknown, but is at least 1,420.[6]
In 2009, the needs of survivors in Croatia were not assessed, but basic mine/ERW casualty data continued to be collected by CROMAC. Other state institutions managed the information on mine/ERW survivors including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Institute of Public Health. However, this data could not be shared due to legal concerns related to strict privacy legislation.[7] In 2009, CROMAC committed itself to the task of unifying casualty data from all relevant state bodies in one database for use in future needs assessments.[8] Under the National Strategy of Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities 2007–2015, a process was started to collect data and to define the category of “severe disability” in order to improve access to services for people with the greatest needs.[9]
Victim assistance coordination[10]
|
Government coordinating body/ focal point |
CROMAC, in accordance with the Law on Humanitarian Demining |
|
Coordinating mechanism |
None, but discussion of victim assistance activities occurred within CROMAC risk education and other mine action meetings |
|
Plan |
None |
Croatia lacked active victim assistance coordination and a specific coordination body in 2009. Victim assistance was not yet included in the coordination of disability issues through the National Strategy of Equalization of Possibilities for Persons with Disabilities 2007–2015 and state bodies responsible for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.[11]
Survivors were involved in planning and implementation of services through NGOs.[12]
Croatia provided basic reporting on casualty data and government and NGO victim assistance activities in Form J of its Article 7 report for 2009.[13]
Service accessibility and effectiveness
Victim assistance activities in 2009[14]
|
Name of organization |
Type of organization |
Type of activity |
Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2009 |
|
Model of Active Rehabilitation and Education (previously known as the Duga Center) |
National NGO |
Specialized facility for psychological support and social reintegration for survivors |
Reconstruction of premises not completed; changed target beneficiary base to encompass people of all ages and others including families and affected communities |
|
MineAid |
National NGO |
Group therapy, individual psychological help, information on employment and self-employment, professional education, visits to survivors, and social and financial support |
Increased all services to mine/ERW survivors with new projects |
|
Udruga Žrtava Mina Karlovačke Županije (Karlovac County Mine Victims Association) |
National NGO |
Peer support, psychological assistance, information and medical and employment referrals |
No change |
|
Sintagma |
Consulting company |
Economic reintegration seminars and training |
New organization; began victim assistance project in November 2009 |
Overall, there were no significant changes that affected victim assistance services in Croatia in 2009.[15]
Adequate emergency care exists in Croatia, though there is still a need for a comprehensive approach to immediate assistance for survivors, including an integrated medical team for psychological support and referral.[16]
Physical rehabilitation continued to be available in clinical centers in Zagreb and in the mine-affected areas of Osijek, Rijeka, and Split. The Clinical Hospital Center in Zagreb provided rehabilitation and prosthetics in accordance with international standards, but the physical premises did not meet accessibility standards for people with disabilities.[17]
Psychological support and social inclusion services for persons with
post-traumatic stress disorder remained insufficient.[18]
A broad approach to psychological support was identified as a priority need for
survivors and their families in 2009. Specific psychological support was needed
for children whose parents had been killed by mines/ERW, and also for widows
who are single mothers.[19]
In 2009, the Croatian Employment Service began new projects to increase the employability of persons with disabilities.[20] The government also improved cooperation with civil society organizations to create a network of community-based services.[21]
Croatia has a legal framework including over 200 laws and by-laws to enforce the rights of persons with disabilities.[22] However, the government was reportedly slow in introducing measures or revising relevant laws to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. Legislation requiring access to new buildings for persons with disabilities was not always enforced, and the law did not require existing buildings to be adapted. Access to public facilities for persons with disabilities remained limited.[23] In 2009, with adequate staff capacity, the office of the Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities became functional.[24]
Croatia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 15 August 2007.
[1] Interview with Miljenko Vahtarić, Assistant Director, and Nataša Matesa Mateković, Head, Planning and Analysis Department, CROMAC, Sisak, 24 March 2010; Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2010; and CROMAC, “Mine victims assistance (MVA),” www.hcr.hr.
[2] Article 7 Report, Form J, 29 April 2009; and interview with Nataša Matesa Mateković, CROMAC, Sisak, 9 February 2009. CROMAC reported seven of the casualties recorded for 2008.
[3] Interview with Goran Gros, Advisor for International Cooperation and Donations, CROMAC, Sisak, 29 February 2008. In previous years, ERW casualties outside mine suspected areas were identified via data from other sources which were not available in 2008 and 2009.
[4] CROMAC, “Mine Victims assistance (MVA),” www.hcr.hr.
[5] Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities (Brussels: Handicap International, May 2007), p. 65; and CROMAC casualty data provided by email from Goran Gros, CROMAC, 23 April 2008. Known unexploded submunition casualties were included in CROMAC casualty data.
[6] CROMAC, “Mine Victims assistance (MVA),” www.hcr.hr.
[7] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, Social Worker, MineAid, 3 March 2010.
[8] Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2010. This task had not been completed by the end of 2009.
[9] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, MineAid, 3 March 2010.
[10] Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2010.
[11] Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor observations at the First Victim Assistance Coordination Meeting, Zagreb, 15 April 2010. See also, CROMAC, “1st Coordination Meeting of State Administration Bodies and Non-Governmental Organizations in MVA Programmes Held,” 15 April 2010, www.hcr.hr.
[12] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, MineAid, 3 March 2010.
[13] Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2010.
[14] Ibid; response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, MineAid, 3 March 2010; International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance, “Annual Report 2009,” Ljubljana, May 2010, p. 57; Sintagma, “Mine Victims,” zrtve-mina.com; presentation by Croatia, Tirana Workshop on Progress and Challenges in Achieving a Mine-Free South Eastern Europe, 9 October 2009; and Karlovac County Mine Victims Association, www.kuzm.hr. The Association of Organizations of Croatian Civil Victims of Homeland War of Croatia Center also provides assistance, however specific activities were not identified.
[15] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, MineAid, 3 March 2010.
[16] Article 7 Report, Form J, 10 April 2010; and statement by Croatia, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 June 2010.
[17] Email from Miroslav Jelic, Director, Institute for Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Devices, Clinical Hospital Center, Zagreb, 12 March 2010.
[18] Presentation by Neven Henigsberg, Head, Department of Psychopharmacology, University of Zagreb, Tirana Workshop on Progress and Challenges in Achieving a Mine-Free South Eastern Europe, Tirana, 8 October 2009.
[19] Maria Breber, “Expanding the network of psychosocial and economic support,” Workshop report, MineAid, 16 March 2010.
[20] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Marija Breber, MineAid, 3 March 2010.
[21] European Commission (EC), “Croatia 2009 Progress Report,” Commission staff working document, Brussels, 15 October 2009, pp. 12, 46–47.
[22] Convention on Conventional Weapons Protocol V Article 10 Report, Form F, 31 March 2010.
[23] United States Department of State, “2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Croatia,” Washington, DC, 11 March 2010.
[24] EC, “Croatia 2009 Progress Report,” Brussels, 15 October 2009, pp. 12, 46–47.
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