More than 150,000 emergency food parcels provided last year across the West Midlands
This is a 42% increase compared to five years ago, reports charity, Trussell
New annual figures from Trussell show that nearly 245,000 emergency food parcels were provided by food banks across the West Midlands to people facing hunger in the past year.
This is equivalent to one parcel every two minutes.
Alarmingly, just over 86,000 (86,224) of these were for children, representing a 39% increase compared to the same period five years ago.
The annual figures also show significant numbers of parents struggling to afford the essentials.
Since 2019/20, there has been a 42% rise in need from families with at least one child needing emergency food and a 26% rise in parcels to support children under the age of five over the same period.
Food banks across the region are reporting severe levels of hardship that are ‘heartbreaking’, with some parents forced to ration their own food to ensure they can feed their children, as well as people in such desperate situations that they open food parcels and eat before leaving the food bank.
Trussell says this should be a 'wake-up call’ for the UK government to strengthen the social security system and rethink cuts to benefits that risk forcing more people to food banks.
Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell, said: “Thousands of children, families, disabled people, working people, and older people from across the UK needed to access food banks for emergency food in the past year.
"This should be a wake-up call to government and a stark reminder of their responsibilities to the people of this country.
“A whole generation has now grown up in a UK where sustained high levels of food bank need feel like the norm, with teachers, doctors and healthcare professionals now routinely referring people to food banks as part of their day to day jobs, showing how emergency food has sadly become a fixture within our communities.
“Food banks need the public to help make sure food banks that they can continue to provide warm, compassionate, practical support and advice in the year ahead by donating food or funds to Trussell or your local food bank to help end hunger in the West Midlands.”