An alarming situation was revealed in the United States in 2022, where millions of people struggled to secure three meals a day, indicating a sharp increase in hunger in the country. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 44.2 million people faced difficulties feeding their families, a significant increase from the previous year when that number was 33.8 million. Among those affected, more than 13 million were children, representing an increase of almost 45% compared to 2021.

The data points to a decade-long setback in the fight against hunger and food insecurity in the U.S., and this situation reflects the reversal of several social assistance measures that were implemented during the pandemic. The loss of these measures included the disabling of programs such as the child tax credit, temporarily increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and offering free school meals to all children, NPR News reported.

At the same time, food and housing costs have skyrocketed, making the situation even more challenging for households. The rise of unstable jobs in the gig economy, such as grocery deliveries and ride-sharing services, has also contributed to food insecurity, as many workers face financial instability.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture report reveals that nearly 7 million households had to skip meals due to a lack of food at home, and most of them could not afford to eat balanced meals. This scenario particularly affects children, who, in some 381,000 households, have also gone hungry, skipping meals or going all day without eating. This can have serious consequences for children's health, including cognitive or developmental delays and higher rates of hospitalization.

“A lot of the programs that had buffered people’s experience during the pandemic were retired or rolled back in some way […]. Those programs included an expanded child tax credit that gave families with children extra money, temporarily increased benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – formerly known as food stamps – and free school meals for every child”.

NPR News highlights that families with children and people of color faced significantly higher levels of food insecurity than the national average. Hunger rates were more than twice as high in black and Latino households compared to white households. Advocates for access to food emphasize the importance of protecting social safety net programs, such as the Women, Infant, and Children Food Assistance Program (WIC), which serves pregnant mothers and young children.

It is also noteworthy that, after the end of increases in SNAP benefits during the pandemic, more families have turned to WIC for help with food. However, some lawmakers have proposed cuts to funding for this program, despite the growing demand for food assistance. This raises concerns about the possibility that WIC will run out of funds if Congress does not allocate additional funding.