UNICEF to feed hungry British children for first time

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is launching a domestic emergency to feed those British children most badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

This is the first time since its foundation in 1946 that the UN agency tasked with the provision of humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide is intervening to feed starving children in the UK.

The unprecedented intervention by UNICEF comes in the wake of economic devastation in the UK wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In April, a YouGov poll commissioned by the charity Food Foundation found that 3 million people in the UK had gone hungry since the first lockdown (March-April) and that 2.4 million children were living in food insecure households.

In October the same charity announced that an extra 900,000 children had been registered for free school meals.

UNICEF is reportedly providing £700,000 in emergency funding to ease the burden on disadvantaged British children.

Part of this money is set to be allocated to the charity School Food Matters which is hoping to provide breakfasts to hungry children in Southwark, south London.

Commenting on the assistance, Anna Kettley, UNICEF’S director of programs in the UK, said: "We feel it's critical to come together at this time”.

"It's the first time which we're recognizing that this is an unprecedented situation which requires everyone to roll their sleeves up, step in and support children and families that need it most at this time", Kettley added.

SS