The rise in fuel and basic food prices is a new blow to many Mostar citizens, who seek the help of humanitarian organizations and life-saving snacks in soup kitchens to survive.
Secretary of the Red Cross of the City of Mostar Alen Kajtaz said that the increase in the number of poor citizens is becoming more visible day by day, based on requests for help in this humanitarian organization, primarily the number of meals in the soup kitchen which operates under their auspices.
”The number of users of the Soup Kitchen compared to 2019, when there were 320 users, increased to 390, which is 20 percent more,” Kajtaz said, stating that there is not a day that a new person does not appear looking for a piece of bread.
In addition to the pressure of a larger number of hungry people, the work of the kitchen was made much more difficult by the increase in fuel and basic foodstuffs, so according to him, there is a lack of funds to cover basic food preparation, because currently, one meal costs 3.22 BAM.
The director of the Soup Kitchen, Franjo Sliskovic, admits that their situation is no different either.
He explained that the criteria for the right to use their services are very strict, and according to the rulebook from 2007, the right can be exercised only by people who do not have a monthly income of more than 90 BAM, which is below any tolerance threshold.
”In reality, the number of people in need of help is far greater than existing users. We share 165 meals a day on average. But there is not a day that someone who does not have the right to use the kitchen does not come to look for food and we cannot leave him without a meal, and we have not returned anyone yet,” Sliskovic expressed sadly.
He points out that for now, this institution manages to serve all citizens who come for life-saving snacks, but if the trend of increasing hungry citizens continues, it is questionable how it will continue to function.
E.Dz.
Source: Klix.ba
