Food insecurity in Hungary is growing. Over the past year, more families have relied on food donations to make ends meet, according to the country's largest food bank association.

The increased demand and a decline in food donations are making life very tough for those in need – as well as for the organizations trying to help them.

Life has been hard for Agnes Farkas since she lost her job over a year ago. The mother of four worked for years at a small shop forced to close down when Hungary's rising inflation and the energy crisis squeezed its profits.

Since then, Farkas has relied on food donations to feed her family.

"We get here all the food we need for the week – they also give us diapers and even school supplies. It's a big help for me," said Farkas.

Farkas' family is one of more than 200 that rely on weekly donations from a community food bank in one of Budapest's poorest districts. For families struggling to put food on the table, grocery stores are no longer an option, so they have to rely on food banks – which are now, in turn, struggling to meet the growing demand.

Hungary's year-on-year inflation is 21.9 percent – the highest in the EU. The government blames the Ukraine conflict for the country's economic downturn. Economists disagree, saying Hungary's productivity has slowed, the nation's budget deficit has ballooned, and that has driven up inflation. The rising cost of living and a wave of small business closures have disproportionately hurt those on the lowest incomes.

"We hear all kinds of stories when they come for donations; some families don't have a stable income anymore, others are single-parent homes with two or three children and don't earn enough money," said Gizella Szabó, a volunteer with Ujpalota Large Family Food Bank.

In January 2022, the government placed price caps on essential food items to try to fight inflation. Still, according to Hungary's Food Bank Association, the caps have hurt the donations they used to receive from food chains.

"The retailers started being more cautious and careful in ordering the goods and warehousing, so there is less surplus," said András Nagygyörgy, a spokesperson with Hungary's Food Bank Association. “They also started giving higher discounts and started to sell those foods that are close to their expiry dates, so there is less we can get from the stores."

More than 250,000 people receive help from Hungary's Food Bank Association, and that number is rising fast. That's why the group now reaches out to restaurants and schools for donations, ensuring no food goes to waste.

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