Parents of 13- and 16-year-old sons left alone in the mountains: Rescuers had to intervene

A humanitarian food warehouse in Slovenia has run completely empty for the first time in years, with staples such as rice and pasta now missing from its shelves. The situation has raised concerns among aid workers, who say rising demand for assistance and dwindling donations have left them struggling to meet basic needs. The warehouse, operated by the Zveza Anita Ogulin charity, typically stocks enough food to supply around 200 families with young children each month. Each package, valued at approximately €70, includes food items along with personal hygiene products to help ease the burden of shopping. However, the organization now faces a critical shortage of even the most essential supplies. Tina Plevnik, coordinator of the humanitarian program at Botrstvo in Slovenia, described the situation as alarming. “Our warehouse is practically empty,” she said. “For the first time in many years, we’ve run out of even basic foods like rice and pasta, items we always had in stock, even during other shortages.” The charity relies entirely on donations from individuals and companies, either in the form of goods or money used to purchase needed supplies. While donations peak in December, allowing the warehouse to be stocked for the following months, the number of contributions has significantly declined throughout the year. In recent years, there have been occasional shortages, but this level of scarcity is unprecedented. The profile of those seeking aid has also changed. Before the pandemic, many requests came from families facing broader financial or social hardship. Now, a growing number of recipients are working households struggling with rising living costs. Alenka Petkovšek, president of Zveza Anita Ogulin, warned that employment does not guarantee financial stability for many families. “Many live on the edge, where one unexpected expense can push them further into crisis,” she said. Some families manage to survive on tight budgets, but often have to skip meals or delay bill payments. When unforeseen expenses arise, their financial balance quickly deteriorates. Food insecurity has become increasingly common, with more households turning to the charity despite regular incomes and fulfilled obligations. “Parents often skip their own meals to ensure their children have enough to eat,” Plevnik explained. The charity emphasized that while emergency aid can alleviate immediate pressure, it cannot replace systemic solutions needed to address long-term poverty. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a German family left their two teenage sons alone in the mountains of South Tyrol after returning home early from a hike. The boys were found stranded outside a closed mountain hut and had to be rescued by emergency services. The family had initially set off from Dobbiaco but returned to the valley before the boys arrived at the Bonnerhütte hut, which had been closed since mid-October. Despite the cold weather, the teenagers decided to spend the night outdoors. One of the boys became seriously ill and called his parents around 1 a.m., prompting the call for rescuers. Emergency responders found both boys severely hypothermic and transported them to a hospital in San Candido. They have since been discharged. A representative of the rescue service criticized the decision as “very thoughtless,” though he noted such incidents remain rare.