British soldiers shop at food banks for a living
According to RAF documents and sources cited by Sky News, military personnel have opened an unofficial food bank at Coningsby airbase in Lincolnshire to help civilians in need.
However, the soldiers, who were finding it difficult to make a living at the Coningsby food bank, where the Typhoon Eurofighter aircraft were based, due to rising inflation and rising prices, began to provide for their needs.
It was also reported in reports that soldiers had to choose between food or fuel, while it was also reflected in RAF documents.
It was claimed that some of them could not even afford to come home from the base, while the information that a female soldier spent her last money on baby food and could not eat hot food for 4 days was also reflected in documents.
In addition, requests for financial support for soldiers from an unnamed charity doubled.
SAILORS CAN’T GO HOME
A Royal Navy official also claimed that seafarers are experiencing financial difficulties, noting that the Navy works to meet the childcare needs of soldiers.
“We hear that seafarers can’t come home on weekends or days off due to travel expenses, use food banks and talk to charities to pay off their debts,” the Navy official said. saying.
HEATING IS NOT ENOUGH
Although accommodation, food and fuel aid is provided to members of the army to alleviate the hardships of military service and facilitate recruitment, according to individuals and institutions providing religious services in the RAF, many members of the army have been purchasing food banks since last year to earn a living.
According to RAF reports, the number of people using food banks at both bases in Oxfordshire has hit a record high. The report stated that the price increase also affected military installations and that heating and pest control services were not sufficient.
While the report also shared that this situation also affected soldiers’ morale, a Defense Ministry official who spoke to Sky News about the increased use of food banks said: “We are very saddened that soldiers are reliant on food banks and aid organizations. to survive.” he said.
The Defense Ministry, for its part, pointed out that this issue is a matter of “private life” and that there are no reports to support this situation, and the RAF stated in the report it produced in July last year that the soldiers they were increasingly looking for support.
In the same report, it was also stated that the soldiers were concerned about heating and energy costs that would increase during the winter months.
The RAF Relief Fund, an RAF-affiliated charity, announced that while the number of active airmen applying for support in 2021 was 539, this number has more than doubled in 2022. (AA)