The leader of Tafel, Germany's umbrella organization for food banks, warned on Wednesday that they were in danger of being "overrun" if the country does not do more to combat poverty amongst the elderly. The number of people relying on food donations has increased to 1.65 million in the past year, a 10% increase overall, and 20% increase among people 65 and older.
"This development is alarming — old-age poverty will overrun us in the coming years," said Jochen Brühl. He added that the increase in the number of children and adolescents needing to use food banks was also on the rise, which is "completely unacceptable."
Part of the problem with younger people, he said, as that children who are not middle class and above are "systemically" neglected by Germany's rigid school system, which Brühl called the "most impermeable" among OECD countries.
"Anyone who is poor as a child has barely any chance to break the cycle of poverty," he said.
The uptick in needy individuals was the most significant climb across the country since 2014.
