With the Jewish Passover under way, NGOs report an alarming growth in the number of Israelis turning to them for food aid. Some NGOs are reporting a rise of nearly 60 percent in the number seeking help compared to 2008.
As a consequence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Finance Ministry on 5 April to increase the budget allocated to NGOs for Passover food aid. The eight-day Jewish Passover holiday started on 8 April.
Parliament will also approve an inter-ministerial team to examine and assist the work of NGOs providing food and social aid.
The national budget for Passover assistance now stands at some nine million NIS (about US$2.2 million), which NGOs claim is not enough.
Passover is one of the two main Jewish holidays and tradition requires consumption of more expensive unleavened breads at this time. Experts say a certain stigma attaches to those unable to provide respectable food for their families. NGOs are keen to do all they can to provide at least some basic food for the holiday.
According to officials in Israel's Social Affairs Ministry, some 20 percent of the population will need support from the welfare services in 2009.
Over 85 percent of welfare services in Israel are provided by NGOs and local municipalities. NGOs are reporting a severe cut in the amount of donations they receive, and fear the collapse of hundreds of small NGOs after Passover, leaving thousands of families with no support.
Eran Weintraub, head of Letet, an NGO providing food and social assistance through some 120 local NGOs, told reporters on 5 April: “The need is estimated at 800 million NIS ($200 million) for some 223,000 families. This is over 60 million NIS ($15million) a month; current assistance is less than 10 percent [of this figure]. If the government of Israel’s intentions are genuine, it must form a joint team with NGOs currently working in this area and erect a special force to fight poverty.”
Impact of global financial crisis
NGOs say they have seen a 40-60 percent decrease in contributions, as more and more people lose their jobs. Local media have reported a 59 percent rise in claims for unemployment benefit applications in the year to February 2009.
Experts at the Bank of Israel say the unemployment rate is heading towards 8 percent by the end of 2009 - up from its current level of 6.8 percent.
At a local supermarket in the well-to-do town of Hod Hasharon, the manager reported a major cut in the amount of food donations: “This year people are giving much less. Whereas last year they would gladly donate at least one item of food, this year they walk past the donation boxes. We are also seeing a drop in bulk shopping during the holidays,” she said.
Freezing of operations
Pitchon Lev, a well-known NGO, is due to freeze its operations after the holidays. Volunteers at the NGO said they would not be able to meet the demands of needy families, the number of which has increased by some 30 percent from 5,000-6,500 in the past year.
Queues at the local food distribution centres are long. Haim, a 55-year-old father of three waiting in line at one of the centres operated by an NGO in Tel Aviv, said he lost his job nearly a year ago and could not provide food for the holiday period. “My pride prevented me from coming here before, but now I have no choice.”
Eliezer Yaari, head of the New Israel Fund, said of Netanyahu’s decisions: “This is like giving aspirin to a terminally ill patient - too little too late. Right now we need to strengthen all of the NGOs supporting civil society and not offer pennies to some.”
td/ar/cb
As a consequence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Finance Ministry on 5 April to increase the budget allocated to NGOs for Passover food aid. The eight-day Jewish Passover holiday started on 8 April.
Parliament will also approve an inter-ministerial team to examine and assist the work of NGOs providing food and social aid.
The national budget for Passover assistance now stands at some nine million NIS (about US$2.2 million), which NGOs claim is not enough.
Passover is one of the two main Jewish holidays and tradition requires consumption of more expensive unleavened breads at this time. Experts say a certain stigma attaches to those unable to provide respectable food for their families. NGOs are keen to do all they can to provide at least some basic food for the holiday.
According to officials in Israel's Social Affairs Ministry, some 20 percent of the population will need support from the welfare services in 2009.
Over 85 percent of welfare services in Israel are provided by NGOs and local municipalities. NGOs are reporting a severe cut in the amount of donations they receive, and fear the collapse of hundreds of small NGOs after Passover, leaving thousands of families with no support.
Eran Weintraub, head of Letet, an NGO providing food and social assistance through some 120 local NGOs, told reporters on 5 April: “The need is estimated at 800 million NIS ($200 million) for some 223,000 families. This is over 60 million NIS ($15million) a month; current assistance is less than 10 percent [of this figure]. If the government of Israel’s intentions are genuine, it must form a joint team with NGOs currently working in this area and erect a special force to fight poverty.”
Impact of global financial crisis
 This year people are giving much less. Whereas last year they would gladly donate at least one item of food, this year they walk past the donation boxes. |
NGOs say they have seen a 40-60 percent decrease in contributions, as more and more people lose their jobs. Local media have reported a 59 percent rise in claims for unemployment benefit applications in the year to February 2009.
Experts at the Bank of Israel say the unemployment rate is heading towards 8 percent by the end of 2009 - up from its current level of 6.8 percent.
At a local supermarket in the well-to-do town of Hod Hasharon, the manager reported a major cut in the amount of food donations: “This year people are giving much less. Whereas last year they would gladly donate at least one item of food, this year they walk past the donation boxes. We are also seeing a drop in bulk shopping during the holidays,” she said.
Freezing of operations
Pitchon Lev, a well-known NGO, is due to freeze its operations after the holidays. Volunteers at the NGO said they would not be able to meet the demands of needy families, the number of which has increased by some 30 percent from 5,000-6,500 in the past year.
Queues at the local food distribution centres are long. Haim, a 55-year-old father of three waiting in line at one of the centres operated by an NGO in Tel Aviv, said he lost his job nearly a year ago and could not provide food for the holiday period. “My pride prevented me from coming here before, but now I have no choice.”
Eliezer Yaari, head of the New Israel Fund, said of Netanyahu’s decisions: “This is like giving aspirin to a terminally ill patient - too little too late. Right now we need to strengthen all of the NGOs supporting civil society and not offer pennies to some.”
td/ar/cb
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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