German food banks - Struggling to cope with rising demand

The war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living has led to food banks in Germany almost reaching their limit.

The number of people going to food banks in Germany is on the rise.

There are over 960 food banks across Germany which rescue surplus food, organize donations from supermarkets and distribute these to people in need.

Demand for the service, which provides free groceries for those in need, began rising last December, but has sharply increased since February this year as the cost-of-living crisis began to hit. 

Since March, demand has risen even further as inflation reached a forty-year high of 7.3 percent.

The nationwide increase in demand, combined with rising fuel and grocery costs, as well as food shortages, is beginning to impact the food banks themselves, with many reporting that they are stretched to their limit.