The Red Cross association in Montenegro has donated almost €60,000 to Croatia's Red Cross as aid for local residents affected by the devastating 29 December earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County.

Montenegro’s Red Cross said that an amount of €59,186.57 was collected in a fund-raising campaign.

“We are very pleased that we can contribute to the recovery of our neighbours who were affected by this enormous disaster. We are in constant communication with Croatia’s Red Cross and we are endeavoring to help as much as possible and to help ease the coming period,” secretary-general of Montenegro’s Red Cross, Jelena Dubak said, adding that the donation would have been higher had the coronavirus crisis not hit the country’s economy.

Montenegro’s Red Cross had already sent humanitarian aid on two occasions in the preceding period to Croatia, she recalled.

“Support was also provided through a rescue team from Montenegro deployed to help victims in Petrinja and its surroundings, where it stayed for about ten days and joined other teams in the field,” a press release said.

Companies, associations and individuals immediately after the devastating earthquake in Petrinja, began to pay direct donations to an account opened by the Croatian government as aid for the victims of Sisak-Moslavina County, recalling the huge contribution by Croatia’s Red Cross when Montenegro was hit by the 1979 earthquake. The donations paid by numerous Montenegrin municipal authorities and public institutions were between €5,000 and 10,000.