UNHCR INTENSIFIES ASSISTANCE TO RETURNEES TO CRO DANUBE REGION

ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - The UN High Commission for Refugees will intensify its efforts in assisting Croatian displaced persons returning to the Danube river region of eastern Croatia and has for this reason established an office in Vukovar, a spokeswoman of the Zagreb UNHCR Office told reporters Monday. As of today, the UNHCR is opening an office in Vukovar, to employ staff from the Erdut office, to the effect of intensifying activities in eastern Croatia, Baranja and western Srijem, Ljerka Drazenovic said. The Vukovar office will enable more direct dealing with necessities of Croatian returnees in Vukovar and the surrounding area, and will make it easier for the UNHCR to provide assistance to incoming returnees, Drazenovic said. Only 2,000 out of some 100,000 Croatian displaced persons from the Croatian Danube river region have returned to the region so far. The Ministry of Reconstruction and Development last week signed agreements on the reconstruction of 4,000 houses in the Croatian Danube region which suffered slight damage. Twenty- thousand Croat-returnees should move in these and in abandoned houses by year's end. According to Vladimir Loncarevic, a spokesman for the Ministry, the reconstruction did not improve as planned, due to problems in obtaining UNTAES passes for entering the Danube region, and problems caused by Serbs moving out of Croat houses and returning to their houses in other parts of Croatia which currently accommodate displaced Bosnian Croats. A mass return will probably happen in spring, Loncarevic said. Commenting on recent accusations, especially on the U.S. part, that the Croatian government is stalling the return of Croats to the Danube region, Loncarevic said this certainly was not the case. Political interventions only obstruct the return process, he added. Alongside objective problems, the Croats' psychological hesitation to return individually among Serbs, former foes, must also be taken into consideration, Loncarevic said, adding this was the reason why they were more inclined to a mass return. "I personally believe it takes time for the returnees to adjust psychologically to the return", the Croatian Reconstruction and Development Ministry spokesman said. (hina) ha 131852 MET oct 97