"A major step forward in tackling the social crisis": four associations, including the Red Cross and the Restos du Coeur, on Tuesday welcomed the increase in the means granted by the European Union to food aid in France.
Read also: The government releases an additional 55 million for food aid
European funding for the purchase of food in France for the period 2021-2027 will amount to 870 million euros, the government announced Tuesday at Restos du Coeur, the Red Cross, the Secours populaire and the Federation. French food banks.
The strong increase (48% compared to 2014-2020) in this aid is due to an unspent balance of 90 million euros from the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), as well as an exceptional budget of 132 million euros drawn from the European recovery plan.
The Minister of Solidarity and Health Olivier Véran and the Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune went to a food bank warehouse in Gennevilliers in the Hauts-de-Seine on Tuesday morning for this announcement.
In a joint statement, the four associations, "
fully mobilized for years to defend the FEAD, an irreplaceable instrument in the fight against poverty in Europe
" congratulated themselves on having "
been heard by the European Union and the government
".
However, note these associations, "
the needs are constantly increasing because new social categories, until now spared, fall into precariousness
".
“
Hundreds of thousands of people have gone from a critical situation to a catastrophic situation.
The social crisis we are facing will be long and difficult
”.
The number of beneficiaries of food aid in France is estimated at more than 8 million people.
Read also: Food aid: France releases 39 million euros
Read also: Food aid: the government is looking for mash and preserves for the poorest
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