The number of refugees drops to 400,000

While some of the displaced persons left refugee camps in Croatia to go abroad, in the summer of 1994 there were still 197,000 internally displaced persons and 212,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia, or a total of almost 410,000 refugees or displaced persons. In 1994 alone, the amount of care provided to refugees amounted to US$ 229 million, 89% of which was provided from the State budget and 11% from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

1994

10–11 September

Photo: LZMK

Pope John Paul II in Croatia

The first Apostolic Visit to Croatia was perceived by all Croats, 90% of whom declare themselves as Catholic, as a blessing and a testimony of solidarity in hardship, considering that more than a quarter of the country was still occupied at the time. A mass held at Zagreb's Hippodrome was attended by one million people, or every fourth Croat. The Pope appealed to the people to have the courage to forgive and asked them to clear their hearts of all hatred and any desire for revenge. As the first Slavic peoples to receive baptism, back in the 7th century, the Croats are still very attached to the Roman Catholic Church, which recognized the Kingdom of Croatia as an independent state in 879.