AGREEMENT ON HELP FOR THE ELDERLY SIGNED IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Oct 4 (Hina) - An agreement worth 1 056,000 Swiss francs, was signed by Croatia and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in Zagreb on Friday. The aim of agreement is to help adapt four facilities in Croatia into accommodation for the elderly and the infirm refugees. #L# Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara expressed satisfaction with the signed treaty, and said its purpose was to immediately establish facilities where geriatric help may be available to elderly displaced people and refugees as well as to other elderly Croatian citizens. There were 628,000 people in Croatia over the age of 65 (or 13.1 per cent of the population), and that's why Croatia belonged to countries with a very old population according to UN standards, Minister Skara said. He added that 20 per cent of displaced people were above the age of 60. According to estimates, there are about 4,000 elderly people among displaced people and refugees that urgently need geriatric assistance. Besides, Croatia's 9,000 domiciled citizens must wait for accommodation in old people's homes for three years on average. The agreement will help reconstruct facilities in Donji Zemunik, Udbina, Dubrovnik and Pula, where new 700 places will be made, according to Skara. Means for the reconstruction will be provided through the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent by the Italian embassy humanitarian section as well as by the Croatian Social Welfare Ministry. On behalf of the International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent, Sten Swedlund voiced satisfaction with the agreement and said the international federation had been present in Croatia since 1992 closely cooperating with the Croatian Red Cross. (hina) mš 041759 MET oct 96