Food Emergency Emerges in Poverty-Stricken Barrios of Argentina, Reports Reuters

By Lucila Sigal and Javier Corbalan

BUENOS AIRES/SALTA, Argentina – A food crisis is emerging in Argentina’s impoverished neighborhoods as poverty rises and malnutrition becomes more prevalent, leading to medical professionals treating children for eye diseases and even scurvy caused by a lack of essential vitamins.

Years of economic downturns and persistent inflation in the resource-abundant South American country have left more than half the population living in poverty, including about 70% of children. Food insecurity has surged in recent years, further intensified by stringent austerity measures imposed by libertarian President Javier Milei. His administration has slashed billions in public spending as part of an effort to achieve a "zero deficit" and stabilize the struggling economy.

Recent official data indicates that the poverty rate climbed to 53% in the first half of the year, up from roughly 42% at the end of the previous year. Around 18% of the population now lives in extreme poverty, meaning their household incomes fail to meet the cost of a basic food basket.

"There are times when I don’t have enough food to feed my children," said Silvina Rizo, a mother of three living in a shantytown on the outskirts of Salta.

Rizo explained that she now cooks with wood, unable to afford gas for her stove, and described how her youngest daughter fears the wind and rain that shake their tin roof and plastic-walled home. "When it rains, the neighborhood floods. But where am I supposed to go?" she lamented. "I have nowhere to go with my children. Rent is too expensive."

According to a United Nations report released this year, the percentage of Argentines experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity has nearly doubled to 36% over the past seven years. Each day, approximately 1.5 million children skip meals, relying on an ever-dwindling supply of nutritious foods such as meats and vegetables, which have become prohibitively expensive.

"We are seeing cases of scurvy and eye injuries due to vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to serious corneal problems," said Norma Piazza, a pediatrician with a focus on nutrition. "Such issues were previously observed in Central America, Africa, and Asia, but we had never encountered cases here linked to vitamin A deficiency."

Pediatricians are also admitting children suffering from neurological problems and convulsions attributed to deficiencies in essential vitamins like B12—an alarming situation in a country renowned for its beef-rich diets.

The Milei administration, which took office in December 2023, has acknowledged the "food emergency" and claims to be responding with increased financial support through welfare programs such as universal child allowance and food cards. "In response to the food emergency, our priority is to assist people with direct financial transfers," stated the Secretariat of Childhood, Adolescence, and Family.

Some government officials suggest improvement is on the horizon, as recent data indicates that poverty may have peaked earlier this year. Inflation is reportedly slowing, but continues to be in the triple digits annually.

The presidency called the high poverty levels "horrific," asserting it is doing everything possible to rectify the situation, which it attributes to decades of mismanagement and excessive spending by traditional political parties.

Milei, a political outsider and former economic commentator, has compared his reform agenda to using a chainsaw to drastically reduce the size of the government. However, his administration’s withdrawal of funding for various soup kitchens—deemed inefficient or fraudulent—has faced backlash from aid organizations and religious groups that emphasize their vital role in feeding the needy. Many soup kitchens have had to cut back on their services or close entirely.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern in a recent report about the alarming rise of food insecurity in Argentina, noting the negative effects on children caused by funding cuts to community kitchens.

"Since December last year, aid from the national government has completely stopped," lamented priest Adrian Bennardis from Villa Soldati, a struggling neighborhood in Buenos Aires. "It breaks my heart to know that out of every ten children, seven are below the poverty line… and that part of society chooses to ignore this reality."

Despite ongoing challenges, many Argentines still support Milei’s stringent reforms after years of economic turmoil, although his approval ratings have begun to decline as discontent spreads. Angel Arce, a 32-year-old man currently unemployed, expressed his frustration at having to send his son to live with relatives due to financial hardships. "Everything has gone downhill under this president," he said. "The poor no longer receive any support, not even from soup kitchens."

At a soup kitchen in Villa Soldati, Maria Benitez Osorio, also facing rising demand for food, explained that funding had decreased, leading to a decline in meal quality. "What we try to do is serve more rice and noodles, which are more plentiful. Meat and chicken are rare," she said while preparing a large stew for the waiting neighbors.

In Villa Fiorito, the neighborhood where soccer legend Diego Maradona grew up, 32-year-old Cynthia struggles with malnutrition, exacerbated by critical health issues. "I don’t have enough food," she said from her bed underneath a leaky metal roof. "The soup kitchen can only provide food once a week."

Diets lacking essential nutrients like zinc and certain vitamins can cause stunted growth and a higher likelihood of diseases, while reliance on inexpensive carbohydrates is contributing to increasing obesity rates in Argentina.

"The quality of food available to poor children in Argentina is clearly deteriorating," commented Sergio Britos, a nutritionist and director at a national center focused on food policy. He noted that around 10% of children under five are malnourished, a troubling figure that has risen as food prices continue to climb.

Susana De Grandis, a pediatrician specializing in child nutrition in central Cordoba province, pointed out that seeing illnesses such as eye diseases and scurvy associated with poor diets is a concerning indicator of the country’s deteriorating food security. "We had not encountered such cases in decades," she remarked. "These instances signal a serious situation that demands urgent attention."