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Poverty in Switzerland: Thousands of people queued in Geneva over the weekend to get free food. Image: KEYSTONE
Food shortages due to Corona crisis: Caritas issues hundreds of food cards for short-term workers
Kilometers of queues represent free food: Geneva images shake Switzerland. The situation is also reaching a critical point in Caritas. The aid agency asks the federal government to act quickly.
The Geneva scenes shake Switzerland: In Geneva, thousands of needy people had to queue for hours over the weekend to get a bag of rice or pasta. “We are used to these images of war zones. But I never thought I was going to experience something like this one day in Switzerland, “says a staff member of” Doctors Without Borders. ” Many people lost their jobs due to Corona, entire families have to live on food donations.
The crown crisis is driving thousands into poverty in Switzerland, and not just Sans-Papiers. Due to short-term work, several employees in the low-wage sector slide below the poverty line. Food employees, for example, cannot cope with hundreds of francs in wages. To illustrate: the poverty line for an individual is CHF 2400, for a family with two children CHF 4000.
Because of Corona, Caritas grocery stores are in a hurry. Image: KEYSTONE
Many of those affected did not really feel the painful loss of the crown until they paid their April wages. “Since mid-April, we have issued several hundred cards per week that people in our stores can use to buy discounted products. The situation is worrisome, ”Caritas spokesman Stefan Gribi told watson.
Those affected only have money for the essentials: sales of basic foods such as rice, pasta or cooking oil have increased by 50 percent in Caritas stores. “People buy fewer vegetables and fruits, but try to continue long-term food for a longer period of time,” continues Gribi.
Food voucher as ransom
Caritas not only feels the effects of the Corona crisis directly in stores, but also in poverty counseling centers. The demand for social counseling is increasing rapidly. “Many of those affected have difficulty paying the rent,” says Gribi. Caritas pays bridging aid such as food stamps or an additional rent for those affected by poverty. The aid organization received one million francs from Swiss Solidarity for this purpose.
Scenes like those in Geneva remain an exception. Poverty is largely hidden in Switzerland. Those affected try to do the best they can without looking at their emergency situation. “Due to the crisis in the crown, many of those affected have exhausted their last reserves. In the coming months, social problems will worsen, “said Gribi.
Therefore, Caritas calls on the federal government to develop a package of measures for around one million people affected by poverty in Switzerland. The requirements are:
- Increase discount on health insurance premiums by 50 percent for two years
- Short-term, low-income job assignments covering 100 percent of monthly salary
- One-time direct payments of CHF 1,000 for low-income and marginalized people
- Free daycare places for low-income families
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