Pandemic puts pressure on Japan to open up rice stockpile to charities arabnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from arabnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When Ayumi lost her part-time job at a restaurant last summer, she ended up relying on rice and pre-packaged fare delivered once a month by a food bank to her college campus in Tokyo. "I cut my meals to once a day, in mid-afternoon," the 22-year-old said. "Many friends were…
(Corrects name of organization in paragraph 26)
TOKYO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Ayumi lost her part-time job at a restaurant last summer, she ended up relying on rice and pre-packaged fare delivered once a month by a food bank to her college campus in Tokyo.
“I cut my meals to once a day, in mid-afternoon,” the 22-year-old said. “Many friends were in the same boat – they worked at eateries that were hit because of the coronavirus.”
As job losses surge due to the pandemic, demand for food handouts has skyrocketed in Japan, prompting the government to release stockpiled rice to charities for the first time last May. Another expanded programme started this month.
CORRECTED-FEATURE-Pandemic puts pressure on Japan to open up rice stockpile to charities Reuters 2/17/2021
(Corrected name of organisation in paragraph 26) Pandemic highlights often-overlooked poverty in Japan Government releases stockpiled rice to charities for first time Calls to ease rules over distributing rice to the needy
By Chang-Ran Kim and Izumi Nakagawa
TOKYO, Feb 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Ayumi lost her part-time job at a restaurant last summer, she ended up relying on rice and pre-packaged fare delivered once a month by a food bank to her college campus in Tokyo. I cut my meals to once a day, in mid-afternoon, the 22-year-old said. Many friends were in the same boat – they worked at eateries that were hit because of the coronavirus.