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Updates from Hungary during COVID-19 crisis

The Hungarian Food Bank Association calls the “foodhoarders” for charity – 6 July 2020

A periodic charity movement was started by the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) and the Hungarian Food Bank association. The goal of this initiative was to get the excessive amount of piled up, but not used food in preparation of the Coronavirus before expiration date. The organizers accepted donations till June 16th 2020, at 89 locations countrywide in Hungary. The collected food supplies will be distributed to the ones in need by the partners of the Hungarian Food Bank. 

Read more here.

A support for the companies and for the most deprived in Hungary – 3 July 2020

The difficulties caused by COVID-19 will affect in the long run also the most deprived. The protracted effects of the crisis are now being tackled together by government, the economic actors, and the civil society. The Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree at the end of June 2020, aimed at helping food companies particularly affected by the crisis, while also helping those in need.

The decree issued by the Ministry of Agriculture within the framework of the National Food Crisis Management Program provides an opportunity for food industry producers and processors to receive assistance in the form of non-refundable support, if the impact of the current epidemiological situation makes it necessary for them. The decree also stipulates that the large enterprises concerned shall donate a value equal to 10% of the requested support for charitable purposes, such as feeding the needy and distributing food donations to the most disadvantaged part of the population.

This year, the Hungarian Food Bank Association in cooperation with 400 partner organizations nationwide supported 300,000 deprived people for whom such an opportunity can be life-saving. The experience of recent months shows that, unfortunately, the demand for food donations has increased significantly. However, in order to meet the increased demands, it is also necessary to increase the amount of food donations received by the Food Bank.

“We are confident that the donations provided by the companies benefiting from the assistance will facilitate many, many deprived people every day. We believe that the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture is a lifeline not only for companies, but also for the most deprived” said Balázs Cseh, President of the Hungarian Food Bank Association.

Original source here.

Translation conducted by FEBA.