21 Dec 2021; MEMO: Some 2.54 million people in Israel, including 1.118 million children, live in poverty, according to a report released yesterday by the Latet non-profit aid organisation.
Nearly 652,000 families – nearly 25 per cent of households in the country – are living in poverty, the study found.
Latet describes a new status of "middle class poor" which has emerged as the result of the coronavirus pandemic and which poses a real danger to the stability of the economy.
"The state must provide a solution and not rely on non-governmental organizations," Founder and President of Latet, Gilles Darmon, said.
In Israel, many organisations have been assisting those who have been affected by the economic downturn.
According to the Jerusalem Post, one such organisation served more than 1,000,000 meals last year, over 130,000 of which were to children.
In January, the National Insurance Institute reported that almost two million Israeli citizens live below the official poverty line; representing 23 per cent of the total population. Around one-third of all Israel children are included in that figure.
