Red Cross to launch first food distribution programme since WWII in the UK
12 Oct 2013
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The Red Cross is set to launch its first winter food aid programme for the UK's needy since WWII.
The development comes in view of the increasing number of people visiting the charity's food banks and soup kitchens across Europe.
Volunteers would visit Tesco supermarkets and request shoppers to donate dry foods for donation to food banks nationwide from the end of November.
Red Cross said it had seen a 75-per cent increase in the number of people on their food aid since 2010, and was calling on European governments to find new ways to address the crisis in the face of the economic crisis and austerity cuts.
The Independent quoted Bekele Geleta, secretary general of the International Federation of the Red Cross, while the charity fully understood that governments needed to save money, it strongly advised against indiscriminate cuts in public health and social welfare, as it might cost more in the long run.
Charities revealed in May this year, that over half a million UK citizens were increasingly reliant on food banks.
According to The Red Cross, volunteers would be sent to supermarkets for three days to ask shoppers to donate dry food items, which would then be sent to food banks through the charity FareShare.
Welfare cuts and austerity measures had seen increasing numbers of people turning to food banks and soup kitchens as families struggled to put food on the table, the Independent said.
According to Juliet Mountford, head of UK service development, the Red Cross agreed to work with FareShare on the basis of "strong evidence of an increased need for support on food poverty issues".
She added, for the British Red Cross it was a toe in the water. She said it was the first step in considering whether more needed to be done on today's food poverty challenge.
According to figures from the Trussell Trust food bank network, around 500,000 people required the use of food banks in the UK last year, with the number expected to increase in 2014.
The Red Cross said in an additional report that there had been a 75 per cent rise in people relying on food banks across Europe, over the last three years.
The report further stated that at least 43 million people in Europe were not getting enough to eat each day and 120 million were at risk of poverty.
The development comes in view of the increasing number of people visiting the charity's food banks and soup kitchens across Europe.
Volunteers would visit Tesco supermarkets and request shoppers to donate dry foods for donation to food banks nationwide from the end of November.
Red Cross said it had seen a 75-per cent increase in the number of people on their food aid since 2010, and was calling on European governments to find new ways to address the crisis in the face of the economic crisis and austerity cuts.
The Independent quoted Bekele Geleta, secretary general of the International Federation of the Red Cross, while the charity fully understood that governments needed to save money, it strongly advised against indiscriminate cuts in public health and social welfare, as it might cost more in the long run.
Charities revealed in May this year, that over half a million UK citizens were increasingly reliant on food banks.
According to The Red Cross, volunteers would be sent to supermarkets for three days to ask shoppers to donate dry food items, which would then be sent to food banks through the charity FareShare.
Welfare cuts and austerity measures had seen increasing numbers of people turning to food banks and soup kitchens as families struggled to put food on the table, the Independent said.
According to Juliet Mountford, head of UK service development, the Red Cross agreed to work with FareShare on the basis of "strong evidence of an increased need for support on food poverty issues".
She added, for the British Red Cross it was a toe in the water. She said it was the first step in considering whether more needed to be done on today's food poverty challenge.
According to figures from the Trussell Trust food bank network, around 500,000 people required the use of food banks in the UK last year, with the number expected to increase in 2014.
The Red Cross said in an additional report that there had been a 75 per cent rise in people relying on food banks across Europe, over the last three years.
The report further stated that at least 43 million people in Europe were not getting enough to eat each day and 120 million were at risk of poverty.
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