AMSTERDAM - More and more people are signing up for help from the Food Bank as inflation pushes food prices, NU.nl reports. Ukrainian refugees arriving in the Netherlands also need this type of support. And the coronavirus measures pushed people beyond their means for a long time, the newspaper found in a survey of food banks.
The Food Banks in The Hauge, Den Bosch, Groningen, Rotterdam, and Limburg have already noticed an increase in new users. They expect this number to rise further. "There is often a delay because people can handle the price increases in the short term. In the long term, that is more difficult," a spokesperson for the Amsterdam Food Bank said to the newspaper.
In addition to the higher food and energy prices, several Food Banks noticed a slight increase due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. People who take refugees in can get a card for the Food Bank to help feed the extra mouths in their homes. The card is valid for two months but can be extended if necessary, a spokesperson said to the newspaper.
In 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, over 161,000 people received food support from the Food Bank, over 10,000 more than in 2019. The 2021 figures are not available yet.
"Probably there are many more people entitled to help from the Food Bank," a spokesperson for the Den Bosch Food Bank said. People are often embarrassed about asking for help.
Netherlands residents are entitled to Food Bank support if they have less than 350 euros left after paying their fixed costs, plus 100 euros for every family member.