Hunger is on the rise in America due to a combination of inflation and cuts to federal aid programs, and Maryland is no exception, the nonprofit Hunger Free America said.
Joel Berg, the CEO of Hunger Free America, told 海角社区app that their analysis of federal data over a one-week period this year found the number of Maryland residents experiencing food insecurity jumped by 56% over the same time last year.
Berg defined 鈥渇ood insecurity鈥� as 鈥減eople who are rationing food, skipping meals; it鈥檚 parents going without meals to feed their children; it鈥檚 people buying less healthy food.”
鈥淯nfortunately, hunger鈥檚 an issue in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, every territory of the United States,鈥� he added.
Along with inflation, Hunger Free America鈥檚 study cited cuts to pandemic funding and the expiration of measures, such as the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, as causes.
The organization鈥檚 survey of food pantries and soup kitchens showed that 73% of respondents served more people this year than last. Hunger Free America鈥檚 study also showed that, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, 9% of Marylanders 鈥� more than 541,000 residents 鈥� lived in food-insecure households between 2019 and 2021.
鈥淭he solution is for the elected officials to enact better policies,鈥� especially at the federal level, Berg said.
鈥淗unger in any nation on the planet is unacceptable,鈥� Berg said. 鈥淏ut to have hunger in Maryland, with such incredible pockets of wealth like Potomac 鈥� to have hunger in the District of Columbia just inches from the White House and the Capitol Building 鈥� should be extra appalling.鈥�
