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© Chris Helgren
© Chris Helgren / Reuters |
Food bank charities have condemned the “scandal” of poverty in
the UK after disturbing new figures revealed that hundreds of Brits died
from malnutrition or hunger last year.
Figures from the Office of
National Statistics (ONS) indicate that 391 people died from
malnutrition or hunger last year, a 27 percent increase compared with
nine years earlier.
Hospitals saw 746 admissions for malnutrition in 2015, an average of two per day, according to official government figures.
Health minister Nicola Blackwood confirmed the number in a written answer in Parliament.
The ONS statistics indicate there were 59 deaths “where the
underlying cause was malnutrition” in 2006, a figure which rose to 79 in
2015.
The Trussel Trust – which operates Britain’s biggest food bank network – condemned the findings.
“It’s
a scandal that people living in the sixth largest economy in the world
are going hungry, which is why we’re working to engage the public, other
charities and politicians from all parties to find solutions to the
underlying causes of food poverty,” Trussel Trust chairman Chris Mould said.
The charity runs more than 425 food banks across Britain and supports thousands of people.
“Some
people have been missing meals for days at a time; others have been
unable to afford certain food groups or have sacrificed quality for long
periods of time to keep costs down.
“This, no doubt, has
a negative effect on their health – and for people at the extreme end
of the scale it will lead to malnutrition.”
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the figures represent a “national scandal” for a developed nation.
“Many
people think of malnutrition as a problem that only affects the Third
World. But the reality shown by these figures is that we have a problem
at home too.
“It’s 2016 and we live in one of the richest
nations in the world, so frankly it is a national scandal that anyone
is being admitted to hospital from malnutrition.
“The Government are creating Breadline Britain with insecure work, the lack of affordable housing and not enough well-paid jobs,” he said.
Source: RT
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