On December 29th, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck central Croatia near the town of Petrinja. There were fatalities reported in the immediate aftermath. Billions of dollars of damage has been done in a country still dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an earthquake that struck the capital of Zagreb in March 2020.
Strong aftershocks continued to wreak havoc, adding more damage to the initial disaster and leaving residents to wonder when this chaos will end. Experts have said that this is the worst earthquake in Croatia in 140 years. Reports have indicated that the impact of the earthquake could be felt as far away as Rome and Vienna. The damage is not limited to buildings and infrastructure, though. Many Croatians will need both immediate and long-term help to recover from this blast. The country is turning its available resources to this emergency, but they need additional help.
The Red Cross has been on the ground since the earthquake first hit. Red Cross teams were immediately activated to respond, beginning with an assessment of the situation. They are providing search and rescue, first aid services, supporting evacuations from the impacted area and setting up food and water for people in need. The call from Croatia went out for international aid and support, so that no one is left behind in the response to this terrible tragedy.