Every third food bank has admission freezes or waiting lists
A good 970 food banks distribute food to people who would otherwise not be able to afford it. And the number is growing. According to the head of the organization, many food banks can no longer provide for all those in need.
According to a newspaper report, hundreds of food banks in Germany have waiting lists due to the high demand. "Overall, around a third of the food banks in Germany have temporary admission stops or waiting lists," said Andreas Steppuhn, chairman of the food bank umbrella organization, to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). There are also food banks that are shortening their opening hours. "We can only ever distribute what food is actually available," he said.
There are currently 973 food banks. Last week, Steppuhn spoke to the German Press Agency about a "permanent crisis mode". First the war in Syria, then the coronavirus pandemic and finally the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine had further exacerbated the situation in recent years. "Poverty in Germany is increasing - and noticeably so." High inflation is not only affecting customers, but also the food banks themselves. In addition, the number of food donations is declining because supermarkets and discounters are now working more sustainably and therefore throwing less away.
According to Stepphuhn, an average of 50 percent more customers are coming to the food banks compared to previous years. These are not only refugees, "but also pensioners, single parents and people in the low-wage sector," says Steppuhn. In 2023, there were 1.6 to 2 million people who regularly received support from the food banks, he told RND. "In times of crisis, we've also seen government agencies saying: Go to the food banks, you'll be taken care of there."
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The international community has shown increasing concern over the rising poverty in Germany. Despite the efforts of over 970 food banks, many individuals still face admission freezes or waiting lists due to the high demand for assistance.
Source: www.ntv.de
