Hunger is a violation of our basic human rights – we should be outraged by UK’s food bank crisis

This year 1.4 million emergency food parcels were given out to hungry people between April and September, more than half a million of these for children, according to figures released this week by food bank charity Trussell.

Years of economic decline has stitched hardship into the seams of British life. Now, after a decade and a half of austerity, the grim reality is that the ache of hunger has settled into an ever-increasing number of homes across the UK.  

This is a violation of our basic human right to food on a truly unprecedented scale and should not only spark outrage but also be a turning point for change.

In the world’s sixth biggest economy, hidden in homes up and down the country, children go to sleep hungry every night, and then when they get to school they pretend to eat out of empty lunchboxes. Parents queue up after work outside churches, mosques, and community centres to be given dried goods, vegetables and baby formula.

The new UK government came to power with a manifesto call to “end mass dependence on emergency food parcels, which is a moral scar on our society”.

We need concrete steps to tackle the root causes.

We need to refocus on taking a human rights-based approach, something which only a few years ago was a normal part of the conversation, with politicians and party manifestos specifically calling for a recognition of the right to food in UK law.

The current levels of hardship highlight just how urgent the need is for food to be recognised as a human right in UK law, alongside things like housing, healthcare, and education. Such a measure would compel future UK governments to actively address and reduce food insecurity through long-term policies.

Recognising the right to food would not only protect millions from hunger but also ensure greater dignity and better health for people, reducing strain on public services in the long run. It would help create a country in which children are guaranteed to grow up healthy and happy. In our society, hunger should be unthinkable; and every empty plate is a stark indictment of our priorities.

Earlier this year, the severity of the situation caught the attention of the United Nations, with the special rapporteur on the right to food requesting to undertake a formal country visit to the UK. UN special rapporteurs are international experts in their fields, and so a country visit would provide both crucial insight and innovative solutions on how to remedy some of these issues.

• Over half of London working parents use food banks, study finds: ‘Is this the country we live in?’
• Food bank says people are turning to sex work and taking out dangerous loans due to cost of living

The previous government failed to agree dates for this visit and it is still pending.

In early August, along with Sustain and the Food Foundation, we at Just Fair wrote to the UK government about the requested visit. We are awaiting a response.

The UK government should work cooperatively with the UN and agree dates for a visit so the UK can benefit from this expert opinion and assessment.

It’s time to demand that food be seen as an undeniable right, not a privilege. The right to food is fundamental, yet in the UK it is a daily fight for millions – it’s time to take action that lasts.

Alex Firth is advocacy and communications officer at Just Fair.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a  Vendor Support Kit.