The income of about 20% of Israelis has declined significantly since the beginning of their state’s war on the Gaza Strip following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Palestinian resistance led by the Qassam Brigades against the occupation, according to the Alternative Poverty Report issued by the Israeli charity organization Letet, which is concerned with food security.
45% of Israelis, who participated in a poll conducted by the organization in November, fear economic difficulties due to the war, according to Haaretz newspaper.
It is worth noting that charitable relief societies in Israel have expanded their activities significantly since the start of the aggression on Gaza.
In another survey conducted by the organization, about 85% of participants living in poverty reported difficulty ensuring the supply of hot water or electricity needed to operate their household appliances.
According to the report, the percentage of people suffering from debt has increased compared to last year’s survey, and the Israel Insurance Institute’s report on poverty, which is based on data from all Israelis, is expected to be released soon.
Food insecurity
The organization estimates that about 710,000 families in Israel live in a state of food insecurity, half of whom suffer from severe food insecurity, which is defined as a disorder in eating patterns and a decrease in the amount of food due to economic hardship.
Letit’s estimates are based on a survey of about 500 families between July and September, and another of a similar number of participants during November, and are higher than those issued by the National Insurance Institute, which indicated in 2021 that 522,000 families are food insecure. in Israel.
Insufficient food
In a separate survey conducted this year, which included about 1,300 people receiving aid from food charities, about 80% of participants said that the food they bought was not enough, and half of them said that they had reduced or neglected their meals due to economic difficulties.
The report’s authors devoted a large portion of the report to the economic impact of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the ensuing war on Gaza. Among the aspects addressed in the report was the scope of activity of charities that distribute food to needy families and the government aid they have received since October 7.
According to the report, during the first two months of the war, non-profit organizations distributed more than 130,000 emergency aid kits to Israelis, containing food and personal hygiene products.
In a survey conducted last November that included 87 directors of organizations operating in Israel, almost all participants said that they had begun helping new families since the start of the war, and about 42% said that they had expanded their activities to new groups in society.
After the war
In this context, the Israeli Ministry of Welfare said that it would increase all services after the war, noting that 20 million shekels ($5.5 million) had been transferred, in a joint project with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, to municipal social services departments to meet basic needs, including food for citizens. The needy.
She added that she distributed 15,000 food vouchers, each worth 460 shekels ($126.26), to families in southern and northern Israel, to buy food from major supermarket chains.