THE number of parcels given out by foodbanks in the year to the end of March grew by 33 per cent, the Trussell Trust reported on Thursday.

During the year, the charity’s foodbanks gave out more than 2.5 million emergency food parcels, 980,000 of them for children. The number is 128 per cent higher than five years ago.

The figures come from the 1471 foodbanks affiliated to the Trussell Trust. The charity estimates that there are at least another 1034 independent foodbanks, and many other organisations, including churches, have distributed emergency food in a less systematic way.

Each parcel typically contains three days’ worth of food for one person. During the pandemic, many foodbanks have also been distributing parcels containing food for seven days. No distinction is made in the overall total announced by the charity, which is up from 1.9 million parcels in 2019-20.

The chief executive of the Trussell Trust, Emma Revie, said that more and more people were struggling on low incomes: “No one should face the indignity of needing emergency food.

“This pandemic has shown the unexpected can hit suddenly, but we know when we push for change, united by our desire for justice and compassion, the Government has to listen and act.”