Poor and
working-class Europeans, already struggling with rising unemployment,
food prices, and harsh austerity measures, may now face a massive cut
in Food for the Deprived, an assistance program founded in 1987.
Eighteen million people across the continent will be affected by the
anticipated cutbacks, which are slated to take place in the height of
winter early next year.
The European
Union’s 27 farm ministers, meeting in Luxembourg later this month,
are not expected to pass a proposal that would have maintained
funding of 500 million euros (approximately $690 million) rather than
slashing the program to 113 million euros, a cut of roughly 75
percent.
An Associated Press article quotes Harry Gschwindt, a worker at the
Brussels Food Bank. He described the cutback’s impact in stark
terms, noting that where previously the Food Bank had received 19
different food products, it would now receive only four. As a result,
basic foods such as milk, sugar, corn and fish would no longer be
available.
