Precariousness is increasing in France, and certain food aid associations are finding it increasingly difficult to meet demand. This is particularly the case for the necessary Restos du coeur which are launching their 39th food distribution campaign on Tuesday. “Hunger is increasing, more and more people are in difficulty due to inflation,” commented to some media, including AFP, Patrice Douret, president of the association founded by Coluche in 1985. The increase prices reached 4% in October, according to the latest data from INSEE, those of energy (+5.2%) and food (+7.8%) remain strong.
The Restos du coeur are currently receiving registration requests from potential beneficiaries of food aid for the upcoming campaign and “the trends are not reassuring”: “between 5 and 10% of people welcomed last winter are refused food aid this year” and “we are seeing a significant number of new eligible people,” explained Patrice Douret.
All profiles concerned
Uncertainty hangs over the number of people who will be welcomed this winter. However, the Restos du coeur must reduce their number because they are no longer able to cope with the influx of requests for help, from a logistical or financial point of view. The association welcomed 1.3 million people in 2022-2023, compared to 1.1 million during the previous period. And in recent months, its budget for food purchases, then redistributed free of charge to beneficiaries, has doubled due to inflation.
Single mothers, retirees, employees in low-paying jobs, students: this increase in requests concerns all profiles, in all departments. “Half of the people we welcome are under 25 years old, 40% are minors, and the rate of single-parent families (…) is triple what exists in the average population,” detailed Yves Mérillon, head of the communications department of the association, on RTL. 60% of the households hosted live on less than 550 euros per month. For the first time in their history, the Restos du coeur have lowered the income level that qualifies for food aid.
Among those who have failed, “there is a lot of resignation, people know that we are not able to welcome everyone,” said Patrice Douret. These people can, however, benefit from the association’s other services, such as clothing donations or job search support.