The Sarajevo-based Pomozi.ba humanitarian organisation sent 1,000 food packages to Banja Luka that were distributed to predominantly retired and sick by the local organisation Mozaik Prijateljstva.

A long line of people, including seniors, youth and those with various health conditions gathered in the city to receive the packages containing, among other things, milk, oil, goulash and macaroni.

N1 spoke to some of them, and they expressed their gratitude to the organisations involved.

“My pension is 300 Bosnian Marks, I live with my daughter, and I pay 85 Bosnian Marks for heating alone. If I don’t pay, they will shut it off. All of the utilities cost about 250 Bosnian Marks,” said one of the seniors, adding that she goes cleaning stairways of buildings so she can make more money and survive.

Another senior said he receives a pension of 400 Bosnian Marks monthly and spend half of it on utilities.

“I have grandchildren, I can’t even buy them chocolate. I have an unemployed son, his wife is unemployed, my granddaughter is unemployed, and I can not help them,” he said.

“Since the coronavirus emerged we are crowded here, especially today, as Pomozi.ba from Sarajevo has sent 1,000 packages to the Obrok Ljubavi soup kitchen. People are afraid, worried, especially since they can not leave their homes. When they come here, they take as much as possible to survive this period,” said Miroslav Subasic, the founder Mozaik Prijateljstva.