PHILIPP EBELING FOR "THE WORLD"
ReportOne and a half million Britons have spent at least a day without food since the containment began on March 23.
The nave of St Margaret the Queen is now barred with shelves filled to the brim with food. Since the start of containment in the UK, this church in south London has been used by five nearby food banks as a huge shed for collecting donations and collections. Cereals, packets of soup, boxes of red beans, toilet paper, tea, chocolate bars … A dozen volunteers are busy preparing the packages, which should allow their beneficiaries to last three days.
"I met a woman who organizes events, others who are in the theater …" Alison Inglis-Jones, member of a food bank
Demand has never been higher. “Last week, we served 700 people. More than triple the usual level "says Alison Inglis-Jones, member of the board of directors for the Norwood and Brixton Food Bank, part of the Trussell Trust. In the United Kingdom, the pandemic and containment suddenly caused many families who were already on the verge of poverty topple. "We’ve seen a lot of self-employed people come in, whose income stopped suddenly, explains Mme Inglis-Jones. I met a woman who organizes events, others who are in the theater … "
The phenomenon is the same everywhere across the country. According to a survey for the Food Foundation, 16% of Britons (8 million people) have suffered from"Food insecurity" during the first three weeks of confinement, that is, they had to either skip a meal, reduce their size, or experience hunger. It's four times more than before. Among them, a million and a half people spent a whole day without eating.
"When I discovered the level of these figures, I was amazed, says Rachel Loopstra of King’s College London who analyzed the survey on behalf of the Food Foundation. It shows how fragile a part of the population is, permanently on the brink. "
Sabine Goodwin, who heads the Independent Food Aid Network, a network of over 100 food banks, abounds. “Our society is extremely fragile. Families with children enjoying free meals in the canteen are struggling to cope today. The town halls must in principle cover their costs, by giving them food vouchers, but it was slow to set up. Similarly, the partial unemployment system (which compensates 80% of the salary) does not cover many people who have precarious contracts or live on welfare. "
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