On November 10, Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter, along with her team, held a working meeting at Hostel Arena, where a portion of those affected by the Zagreb earthquake—mostly elderly individuals—are temporarily accommodated. Earlier, on November 3, Deputy Ombudswoman Tatjana Vlašić and advisor Janja Pavković revisited the residents of Medvedski breg, a part of Zagreb that was severely damaged in the 2020 earthquakes.
The biggest issue for the earthquake victims remains the slow reconstruction process, due to which many feel forgotten by the institutions—both by the City of Zagreb and by the state—primarily because of a lack of information and secondly due to the lack of significant progress in rebuilding their homes. Some are also concerned about the mental health of their families and neighbors. In addition to reconstruction, the victims at the Arena are particularly worried because they don’t know how long they will be allowed to stay in the hostel.
Unfortunately, the reality on the ground shows that for most victims, the situation is changing very slowly—some residents of Medvedski breg continue to live in damaged buildings at their own risk; others have moved into city- or privately-owned apartments for which the state pays rent. However, most hope for a quick return to their rebuilt homes. They also hope that in the meantime, other issues in Medvedski breg will be resolved, such as sewer system reconstruction and the provision of public transport by introducing a bus line.
We have previously highlighted some of these issues because the response to the earthquake and the protection of human rights are both the responsibility of various levels of government. However, as more time passes, it increasingly seems that the competent institutions still have not done enough.
More about the impact of the earthquake on human rights can be found in the Ombudswoman’s 2021 Report.