Croatia has taken in 15,550 refugees from war-torn Ukraine, with 2,446 of them currently located in the southern Croatian Split-Dalmatia County, the head of the Civil Protection Directorate, Damir Trut, said in Split on Monday.

“So far, fewer than 10,000 people have applied for temporary protection and they have the right to education, accommodation, healthcare, and other needs,” Trut said after meeting with Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blazenko Boban and local civil protection personnel included in organising the reception of refugees.

A Ukrainian doctor and psychologist are available to refugees, while unaccompanied children have been placed in foster care. According to the head of the local civil protection organisation, Srdjan Kuscevic, children are attending online classes.

Trut and Boban discussed options for the Ukrainian refugees who are currently staying in accommodation that is usually rented out during the tourist season.

Of the children staying in the county, 106 are attending elementary school, 7 are secondary-school students, and 17 are attending kindergarten.

Elderly refugees are learning Croatian at the Centre for Life-Long Learning.

Split-Dalmatia County is “one of the few counties that has its own operations centre where all the information related to refugees can be obtained in one place thanks to the Red Cross,” Boban said, adding that activities are also being prepared with the Ukrainian ambassador.