Poll: 1.3 million Israeli children going hungry ahead of holiday

The October 7th war has fueled inflation and pushed families into hunger, warns Latet, a food distribution charity.

By World Israel News Staff

More than 30 percent of Israeli families — including a third of the country’s children — are suffering from food insecurity, according to a new survey released Monday by Latet, an Israeli food distribution charity. The findings were released hours before the onset of the Rosh Hashanah holiday on Monday evening.

Latet said the sharp increase in food insecurity is the result of the economic crisis triggered by the ongoing October 7th war, which shrank Israel’s economy and fueled inflation in the price of basic goods. Many households, the group noted, are now forced to cut back on necessities, including nutritious daily meals.

According to the survey, 32 percent of Israelis — among them 1.3 million children — are living with food insecurity. The organization defines the term as households that struggle to consistently provide healthy, nutrient-rich meals.

“Almost two years since the October 7th onslaught, the economic crisis is deepening and the repercussions of the war are showing their mark, directly harming household incomes and the ability of many families to provide for the basic needs necessary for a dignified existence,” said Latet CEO Eran Weintrob in a statement.

Weintrob warned that the burden is no longer limited to the poorest families. “The sharp rise in food insecurity rates is reflected in macro data, with the toll spreading also to the lower middle class,” he added.

That expansion has caused a “dramatic increase in demand for assistance from food aid organizations,” Weintrob continued, but many are struggling to meet the need. “They are unable to respond to all applicants, as there is a decline in donations due to the diversion of philanthropic resources to war-related needs.”

The Latet survey said that extended reserve duty, which saw hundreds of thousands of Israelis called up to serve in the military for months at a time, was one factor contributing to the crisis.

Many reservists with small businesses saw their ventures collapse, due to the time they had to spend away from their work.