Fund 5.5 for Earthquake Crisis Support

When Zagreb was hit by a devastating 5.5 magnitude earthquake on March 23rd, five young women from Zagreb living in the Netherlands organized the Zagreb Earthquake Relief Initiative, launching a crowdfunding campaign on the same day, and raising 173,000 euros or about 1.3 million kunas with the help of more than 4,000 donors. Of the total amount raised, their initiative donated part of the funds to Peter’s Hospital for the purchase of medical equipment, while the rest of the funds were entrusted to the SOLIDARNA Foundation for the establishment of Fund 5.5 for crisis support to socially vulnerable households in extreme insecurity.

For decisions on the criteria and allocation of financial support to our fellow citizens, the SOLIDARNA Foundation established the Foundation Council of Fund 5.5, whose members are: prof.dr.sc. Marina Ajduković from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, architect doc.dr.sc. Zrinka Paladino, Sara Juričić, and Jana Zana as representatives of the Zagreb Earthquake Relief initiative and Ivan Blažević as a representative of SOLIDARNA.

In the two weeks of the open public call for support from Fund 5.5, 189 Zagreb households had applied for crisis support. The Fund’s Foundation Council reviewed all valid applications and ranked them in accordance with the criteria set out in the Ordinance on the allocation of financial support from Fund 5.5. Priority for the allocation of funds was given to socially disadvantaged households – those with an average monthly income of less than HRK 1,800.00 (EUR 238) per household member, or less than HRK 2,500.00 (EUR 330) for a single household – especially families with children, and households that make up, or include, the elderly or persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses.