Australia’s Hunger and Food Insecurity Crisis

Recently, information has come to light that around one in every ten Australians needs to access food relief each year. However despite this, hunger and food insecurity remain something of a “hidden crisis” amongst the population.

Foodbank Australia – the organisation primarily responsible for delivering food to those in need – announced that demand had increased by as much as 8% over the last financial year.

Today, around 516,000 Australians use Foodbank services every month. And, incredibly more than 60,000 people are being turned away because there are not enough resources. According to Jason Hincks, Foodbank Australia’s chief executive, there’s a significant gap between supply and demand with regards to food, which is an issue that affects all of us.

The rising hunger crisis

The financial circumstances of people within Australia appear to be the main driver of food-related issues. Unexpected expenses such as medical bills or car problems frequently ensure that families can struggle to get food on the table. As a result, the country is seeing a more significant trend towards families, particularly those with single working mothers, going hungry.

Currently the Salvation Army (an agency for food distribution) says that homeless people create a significant proportion of the people they deal with. However they have also announced that they are helping those with stable homes and jobs more frequently.

Indeed, the 2015 economic social impact survey discovered that approximately 10% of Australians could no longer afford to purchase food. Foodbank Australia has recently launched the “Food Fight” initiative to encourage donations for hungry people in the country.

If you would like to help out this Christmas, you can donate to OzHarvest’s Christmas Lunch Appeal.