While most people are looking forward to the holidays – decorating their homes and planning festive meals – there are families and children across Bosnia and Herzegovina for whom the New Year will not bring joy, hope, or prosperity. Around 19,000 citizens rely on public kitchens for daily meals, and estimates show that nearly every fifth resident of BiH cannot afford even one meal a day.
For these citizens, mornings often begin by waiting in line at public kitchen distribution points. As holiday tables are prepared in many households, others depend entirely on the solidarity and empathy of society for their holiday meal.
Branko Todorović from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights points out the growing social divide, especially visible during the holidays.
“Some will welcome these holidays very modestly, focused on solving basic issues, almost heating, while others are already spending time in ski resorts in Italy, Austria, and Switzerland,” Todorović said.
Pensioners are among the most affected, struggling to survive on minimal incomes, while many children live in poverty. At the same time, a significant number of citizens continue to leave the country in search of better living conditions. Data from the Red Cross confirms that an increasing number of people are spending the holidays in poverty and below the level of basic human dignity.
Aleksandar Savić, Secretary of the Red Cross in Bijeljina, says requests for help are rising daily.
“Citizens are contacting us more and more. We are dealing with extremely difficult cases, many involving serious illnesses and circumstances we cannot influence. We are creating a database, a social map of those in need,” Savić explained.
During the holiday season, numerous humanitarian actions and appeals for solidarity are organized. Mitar Škorić, Head of the Department for Common Affairs of the City of Bijeljina, notes that support largely comes from long – standing donors.
“For 20 years, the same donors and the city administration have been providing holiday packages,” he said.
Aleksandar Đurđević, Director of the Center for Social Work in Bijeljina, emphasized that public kitchen users will not be forgotten.
“All 306 users of the public kitchen will receive support. The assistance has been made available before the New Year so they can buy groceries for the holidays,” Đurđević stated.
Around 20,000 BAM has been collected for holiday assistance – approximately 15,000 BAM paid into a bank account, with the remainder donated in goods. While solidarity and empathy are especially visible during the holidays, humanitarian organizations warn that such help is only a short-term relief.
Civil society organizations and institutions agree that while aid is crucial, lasting change will only be possible through long-term, systemic measures involving the state and local communities, aimed at reducing poverty and ensuring a dignified life for all citizens, BHRT writes.
