www.brusselstimes.com Open in urlscan Pro
34.160.246.108  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Monday 16 September 2024
Subscribe
Magazine Brussels Belgium Business Art & Culture EU Affairs World Belgium
Unlocked Jobs

'Really alarming': One in five Belgian children come to school hungry
Subscribe
For less than a cup of coffee a week



MOST READ

1
Thousands expected at Brussels march to highlight struggling EU industry
2
National strike: 'Major' disruptions on Brussels public transport expected on
Monday
3
Mobility Week: €8 return trip across Belgium by train on Car Free Sunday
4
More and more Belgians rejecting their inheritances
5
National strike on Monday: How is STIB network affected?


'REALLY ALARMING': ONE IN FIVE BELGIAN CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL HUNGRY

Tuesday 7 March 2023
By  Thomas Moller-Nielsen

Credit: Nicolas Maeterlinck / Belga

One in five children in Belgium now arrive in school hungry, as high inflation
and soaring food prices have left many of the country's poorer households
increasingly unable to feed their kids, a recent survey has found.







According to the study, which was conducted by Spark Market Research and
reported on by La Dernière Heure (DH), almost one in four Belgian families (24%)
reported difficulty feeding their children, while 53% of families were uncertain
as to whether they will have access to adequate amounts of food over the coming
months.








Teachers, too, witnessed a similar rise in child hunger: three in four reported
seeing hungry children at school at least once a week, while 40% of Belgian
teachers now personally bring food to class on a regular basis to feed their
students.





"We are talking about children of all ages who arrive at school on an empty
stomach," Elisabeth Verschoore, the Director of the Don Bosco School in
Brussels, which was also involved in organising the study, told DH. "During
lessons, [teachers] notice several direct effects that are becoming more and
more worrying. There is fatigue, difficulty concentrating, a feeling of
depression, sadness or even non-participation in class. Not to mention the risks
of developing a disorder or a disease because of food deficiencies."







"Many of the families we talk to are worried not only about the future in
general, but also about how they will feed themselves in the coming days and
weeks. We know that the most vulnerable people in society have been the most
financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and that they are now being hit by
the cost of living crisis... There is a real need to help families," Verschoore
added.






'MADDENING' SITUATION



The report further noted that, although food precariousness has to some extent
always existed in Belgium, it has risen precipitously in recent years.





"When we compare the situation with the previous study carried out in 2016, we
realize that it is an increase of almost 10% [of families who have difficulty
feeding their children]," said Luc Houben, the Managing Director of Spark Market
Research and the General Manager of Kellogg Benelux. "And for this figure,
almost half of households say they have not yet recovered from the health
crisis."

"The results obtained send strong signals in terms of food insecurity, the
situation is really alarming. It is maddening to see the number of people who
have difficulties due to the increase in the cost of living and its impact on
the daily lives of families," he added.




RELATED NEWS

 * Richest 1% own quarter of all wealth in Belgium
 * Over a quarter of Belgian families in ‘poor financial health’



Verschoore corroborated Houben's assessment that the problem of food hungry has
become significantly worse in recent years. "There are many more young people
today who find themselves deprived of breakfast than before Covid," she said,
adding that one major issue confronting attempts to address the crisis is that
the majority (55%) of Belgian households report feeling a sense of shame when
using emergency food services such as food banks.

"The problem is that parents are often embarrassed to talk about it, there is a
form of shame to mention these kinds of worries," she said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




431 TOP JOBS IN BELGIUM

Service EngineerNCI Agency BE, Braine l'AlleudOfficer, Transition
ManagementInternational Staff, NATO HQAssistantInternational Staff, NATO
HQInternship - SOC EngineerCegekaFinance department officer InternMedecins San
Frontieres
See all jobs Post a job



LATEST NEWS

Brussels launches dual vaccination campaign against influenza and Covid-19
Central and Eastern Europe's Storm Boris death toll rises to 11
Belgium in Brief: Brussels government derailed by ego politics
Belgium collects €400 million from recent government bonds
Fewer asylum seeker applications across Europe in 2024
Ecolo attack MR for having 'no plan' after Brussels talks collapse
National strike on Monday: How is STIB network affected?
Audi Brussels closure 'example of just transition failure,' says Climate
Coalition
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton resigns over 'questionable governance'
Mobility Week: €8 return trip across Belgium by train on Car Free Sunday
Thousands of theatre tickets for €2 in Brussels and Wallonia
Brussels Airport provides almost 85,000 jobs across Belgium
Belgian reaction to Orbán bus plan 'nationalised a European issue', says expert
New tram line, more buses: What is new in Brussels public transport?
Load more





Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.

Advertise Become a Contributor Privacy Policy Careers About Us