One-quarter of Israelis struggle with food insecurity, report reveals

According to the findings, 86.4% of families had to forgo mental health assistance, and 70.8% refrained from buying necessary medications or seeking medical care.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

One-quarter of Israelis face food insecurity according to a report released on Monday.

“The Alternative Poverty” report, released by a Latet, a Tel Aviv-based non-profit fighting poverty found that one-third of Israel’s children — more than one million kids — are affected.

Food insecurity refers to a situation in which individuals or households lack consistent access to enough nutritious food for an active and healthy life.

This is typically due to financial constraints, insufficient food availability, or lack of access to affordable and nutritious options.

The report noted that 65% of the households supported by Latet saw their financial situation worsen in the past year, forcing parents to cut back on essential items.

Eighty percent of the families said they lacked money to buy sufficient food while half said they had to reduce or stop purchasing baby formula.

The financial stress is also impacting health-related decisions.

According to the findings, 86.4% of families had to forgo mental health assistance, and 70.8% refrained from buying necessary medications or seeking medical care.

The report said 2.76 million Israelis — or 28.7% of the population — live below the poverty line and warned of lower-middle-class families slipping into hardship.

According to Latet, The minimum monthly household cost for a family of four rose 6.9% over the past year, reaching 13,617 shekels ($3,549) in 2024 — an additional 10,500 shekels ($2,900) annually.