FIRST PART OF HUMANITARIAN ACTION 'LET US SAVE LIVES' COMPLETED

ZAGREB, Feb 29 (Hina) - The Coordination for Help to Elderly and Abandoned Persons in the Croatian liberated areas yesterday held a session which was chaired by Croatian President Tudjman's special advisor on humanitarian issues, Slobodan Lang. The session concluded that the first part of the action 'Let Us Save Lives' had been completed and that the second phase, called 'Quality of Life', should be started, a statement from the President's Office said Thursday. #L# The second part of the action was very important because of the increased number of social problems in the liberated areas (return of displaced Croats, Serb refugees and displaced Croats from northwestern Bosnia etc.). The session stressed that it was necessary to care for the security of every citizen. The session stressed the estimation of the U.N. Secretary- General of 14 February, 1996 as well as the one by the U.N. Security Council President of 23 February, in which they welcomed considerable decrease of humanitarian suffering, especially of elderly people who remained in the Croatian liberated areas. The difficult social status of a large number of Croats, mainly elderly people, from the Banja Luka area and the occupied Croatian Danubian area was also discussed. The session stressed Croatia's efforts and plans as regards aid to elderly people, calling on international representatives to cooperate. At the request of domestic and international humanitarians, the session accepted humanitarian cooperation with the Serb side during the process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area. The session, held in the President's Office, was attended by representatives of the Croatian Government and domestic and international organisations, the statement said. (hina) rm 291502 MET feb 96