Croatia to accept children from Ukraine for recuperation
Croatia will accept 100 children of wounded and dead Ukrainian servicemen for recuperation in the fall. According to the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Split (Croatia) Ivica Pirić, Croatia has been organizing vacations for Ukrainian children by the sea since 2015 with the organizational support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Croatia and the Prime Minister of Croatia.
During the nine years of the program, which is financed by the Ivica Pirić Foundation, 3,500 Ukrainian children and 400 combat veterans have visited the seaside city of Split in Croatia.
"Croatia experienced a war in 1991-1995, in which more than 20,000 people died and thousands of servicemen were disabled. A significant part of Croatia's territory was mined, cities and towns suffered greatly. Many displaced persons had to go through a difficult period of reintegration. Croatia has extensive experience in the treatment and rehabilitation of military personnel and the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders in children. The current generation of Croats, including representatives of the authorities, are children of war, they are very close to the problems that Ukraine is solving today, so we want to help. The least we can do is to give a holiday by the sea to the children of Ukrainian heroes who defend the independence of Ukraine," said Pirić.
In October 2023, Ukraine and Croatia signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of demining, which provides for the training of specialists, the survey of territories, their demining and cleaning, and the exchange of experience in the production of demining equipment. According to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Croatian mine-clearing machines are operating in Ukraine. In mid-2023, Ukrainian and Croatian manufacturers agreed to localize the production of such machines in Ukraine.
Pirić is retired football player who, after finishing his career, works as a FIFA agent. Since 2016, he has been the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Croatia. Pirić helps wounded Ukrainian soldiers and children who suffered as a result of military actions.
