Food banks running low due to fewer donations

Food Bank Netherlands has seen the supply of food at the Dutch food banks decline for several weeks. This is due to fewer donations, combined with more people in need of food aid.

More and more food banks across the country are dealing with shortages, resulting in customers receiving less extensive packages. The shortages differ per location, but it most often concerns perishable products, like cheese and meat, Pien de Ruig of Food Bank Netherlands said to NOS.

"We have seen a lot less food coming to us lately," De Ruig said. "We see that supermarkets are much more aware of food waste, which is of course a good thing, but because of that the food is no longer coming to us." Donations from local suppliers and restaurants are also disappearing.

"Everyone is trying to keep their heads above water in these times of crisis. At the moment there are some food banks with really empty shelves, which is a signal that we must take seriously," De Ruig said. 

The number of people counting on food banks for their meals has been increasing for some time. On the last measurement date on June 30, a total of 38 thousand households received aid from food banks every week - 8.5 percent more than a year earlier. 

The organization is preparing for helping even more people in the coming period, as the coronavirus crisis leaves more families in need of aid. "If we structurally receive less food on the one hand and more clients on the other, then we really end up in a dilemma," De Ruig said.