Tafel boss: There are waiting lists due to the rush

Social affairs - Tafel boss: There are waiting lists due to the rush

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 umbrella organization for food banks, to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

There are also food banks that have shortened their opening hours. "We can only ever distribute what food is actually available," he said. According to the information, there are currently 973 food banks.

Steppuhn had previously told the German Press Agency: "Our food banks are in 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."

According to Stepphuhn, an average of 50 percent more customers are coming to the food banks compared to previous years. In 2023, there were 1.6 to 2 million people who regularly sought 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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1. Andreas Steppuhn, the chairman of the Editorial Network Germany, mentioned that many food banks in Berlin, being part of Germany, are operating in a 'permanent crisis mode' due to the high demand.
2. On the turn of the year, some food banks in Berlin might have temporary admission stops or 'waiting lists' for their services, as explained by Steppuhn in a discussion with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
3. While the 'opening hours' of some food banks in Berlin might have been reduced to accommodate the demand, Steppuhn emphasized the importance of having sufficient food supplies to distribute.
4. The 'recording stop' of food bank transactions for data collection purposes should ideally coincide with the 'turn of the year' to ensure accurate reporting and analysis, as suggested by some members of the Editorial Network Germany's Board.
5. In the coming year, food banks in Berlin and across Germany might face an increased 'social' responsibility as poverty rates continue to rise and more individuals seek their support, according to Steppuhn's observations in previous years.

Source: www.stern.de