Australian Direct Aid in Lika and Dalmatia

On 13-14 April 2010, the UNHCR hosted the Australian Ambassador, HE Ms Beverly Mercer in the Field Office in Knin AoR in Lika and Dalmatia. During the visit, the Agency's Representative, Mr Wilfried Buchhorn and the FO Knin team briefed Ms Mercer on the refugee return situation in Croatiaand presented five humanitarian projects implemented by local NGOs - Covjekoljublje, Dinarke, Pokretac, Udruga obnovitelja and Croatian Red Cross. The five are implementers of UNHCR recommended projects that are receiving support through the Australian Direct Aid Program (DAP).

The specific DAPsponsored projects in Dalmatia and Lika are targeted at the provision of water supply to returnee households and support to community development in Dalmatian hinterland, empowerment of women in Knin, provision of initial humanitarian assistance to extremely vulnerable returnees and support to the process of rebuilding of sustainable communities in war affected areas in Lika and Zadar hinterland.

During the visit, the Australian Ambassador also met representatives of local self-government in areas in which the DAPsponsored projects are being implemented.