Can't afford food (Illustration)
Photo: Ata Awisat
Poll: 25% of needy unable to afford holiday dinner
Humanitarian aid organization discovers 45% of underprivileged people buying less food than in previous years; demand for financial assistance steadily rising while donations decrease
About 45% of people belonging to Israeli society's underprivileged socio-economic class have recently decreased the amount of food they buy, according to a survey conducted by the Latet Israeli Humanitarian Aid Organization. Another 28% of the general public is also buying less food products.
difficulties this year. Nine percent testified to purchasing less medical products, and 13% said they had been unable to pay expenses such as mortgages, rent, or education fees.
The survey discovered that many of those describing themselves as poor also suffered from many other
Social Gaps
Amnon Atad, Calcalist
Total income of Israel's rich families in 2007 was 24.2% of gross income of all households, while income of poor families in lower echelon was only 2.6%, according to CBS figures
Nineteen percent of the general public said they had been unable to afford vacations and other recreational activities this year, and 6% admitted they could not purchase necessary medication.
A quarter of underprivileged people said they would be unable to celebrate Rosh Hashana this year without assistance from a humanitarian aid organization of some sort, and 24% cannot afford holiday food products such as chicken, fish, and meat.
Around 100 aid organizations participated in the poll, and stated that 30% of the needy families seeking assistance are asking for more aid this year than in previous years, due to deterioration in their financial abilities.
A quarter of the organizations polled reported an increase in needy families seeking aid, and 71% of the organizations said they had been forced to hand out less food per person.
About 45% of organizations said they had suffered damages due to the US dollar's depreciation, which decreased the value of donations received.
"The findings from the research being conducted confirms our fears that the social gaps in Israel are widening, that the situation is worsening, and that the rise in food prices is creating a dramatic breach between people's needs and the organizations' abilities to fulfill them," said Eran Weintraub, CEO of Latet.
"Decision makers are busy with politics these days, while 200,000 families are not able to afford the food required for basic nutrition," he concluded.
