LONDON – Pediatricians urge the British government to oppose the trend and provide loose food to deficient young people on school holidays as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes more families into poverty.
Some 2,200 members of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health have written an open letter to Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying he was surprised by his “refusal” to back down on the issue. Last week, the House of Commons declined an invoice indicating that it would have provided loose food during all school holidays from October to the Easter holidays.
Doctors say about four million young people live in poverty and a third have loose school meals. Many parents in Britain have lost their jobs or have fewer working hours due to the pandemic, so it is imperative to allow defied young people to have at least one nutritious meal a day, doctors say.
“Families that were controlled in the past are suffering to make the end of the month due to the effect of COVID-19,” the doctors wrote. “It’s not enough to send them to the holiday season hoping for the best, knowing that many will just go hungry. “
Most schools in England start on Mondays with a week’s vacation.
Doctors praised Marcus Rashford, a 22-year-old Manchester United star football player who used his fame to highlight the problem. 800,000 signatures on a petition to expand the program.
Rashford spoke with emotion about loose school food addiction as a child and was recently honored by the Queen for her determination to the hunger factor in boys.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis speaking on behalf of the government on Sunday morning’s news programs said lawmakers were taking a broader approach. He said the government had greater social benefits across the country and provided 63 million pounds ($82 million) to local communities for people.
“What we want to do is make sure we address child poverty at its core, putting in position the design that means that even on school holidays, young people can access the food they need,” he told Sky News on Sunday. .
The opposition Labour Party has warned that he will bring the matter back to the House of Commons if ministers replace the course in time for Christmas.
Child advocates were surprised by political stagnation. Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield said she was horrified and disappointed by the debate.
“We’re a country, it’s 2020,” he told Sky News. “Having a debate about whether we want to make sure hungry and vulnerable young people have enough to eat is something that looks surprisingly like everything we’d expect to see in the chapters of Oliver Twist, a novel published in the 19th century. “
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