More people won't be able to afford food due to rising poverty: Red Cross

If poverty increases in the coming years, more and more people will require assistance to buy food, the Dutch Red Cross warned. "We are deeply concerned. People can't cut back on rent and energy, so food becomes the expense that is compromised. This means even more children will go to school on an empty stomach," the Red Cross remarked.

This comes after the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) warned on Thursday that ifthe Cabinet does not intervene to help struggling households, about 5.7 percent of the population will end up in poverty by next year.

The Red Cross launched at the beginning of year a new initiative to offer free meals at primary and secondary schools. 1,578 schools have signed up for it. Schools are eligible when at least 30 percent of their students come from financially vulnerable families. However, not every parent is willing to admit they need help due to feelings of shame and fear, the Red Cross explained. Some schools also miss the 30 percent threshold. "It's distressing because we want to help everyone. If we can't, we look for other solutions," the Red Cross said.

During the summer vacation, about 300 schools remained open so children could get breakfast or lunch. "Six weeks of vacation is a long time. You don't want kids staying out of school for six weeks and not getting enough to eat,” the Red Cross said.

In some municipalities, households can obtain a grocery card with 17.50 euros. “It's possible to prepare meals with that amount, but you need to be creative. The sum isn't nearly enough to alleviate stress. People with little or no money left at the end of the month experience significant stress. It's draining not to have enough money.”

The fact that such assistance is needed in a wealthy country like the Netherlands bothers the Red Cross. "This shouldn't be necessary. We exist to help those in distress, and this is an emergency. We need real change in the Netherlands to ensure that both children and adults have enough money to buy food. Food is a basic necessity."