The number of meals distributed by Belgium’s Restos du Cœur rose 32% from the third to fourth quarter of 2022, the association said on Monday as it launched an appeal for donations to replenish stocks.
A total of 1.37 million meals were distributed in 2022, a “sad record” according to the association. The number of meals distributed has more than doubled since before the pandemic. If the first half of 2022 had been marked by a slight drop in the number of meals provided, any hopes for a permanent improvement were “quickly swept away”.
The Belgian Restos du Cœur is launching its yearly national food drive to replenish food stocks. This will see campaigns run on 10 and 11 March on the ground and extend from 6 March to 2 April online.
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The operation is being organised in 24 collection sites this year, compared to 13 in 2022. Last year, more than 13 tonnes of food were collected.
“With the increase in the price of basic necessities and very high energy bills, the purchasing power of many households has fallen sharply,” said Jean-Gérard Closset, president of the Belgian Restos du Coeur Federation.
“This is a double penalty for people already in a precarious situation and a very difficult situation to accept for newly-impacted people.”
