Belgium Restos du Cœur report surge in food aid demand, budget strain

The Federation of Belgium's Restos du Cœur reports a sharp increase in food distributions across the country, with demand up 48.4% in Quiévrain and 26.3% in Aarschot year-on-year. The Federation has had to double its budget for purchasing food, indicating growing food insecurity. This signals worsening cost-of-living pressures in Belgium, though the underlying causes (inflation, unemployment, policy changes) are not specified.