Food Emergency in Argentina

By Lucila Sigal and Javier Corbalan
BUENOS AIRES/SALTA, Argentina (Reuters) – A food emergency is unfolding in Argentina’s impoverished barrios as poverty and malnutrition escalate. Medics are now treating children for eye diseases and scurvy due to vitamin-deficient diets.

Years of recessions and soaring inflation have plunged over half the population into poverty, with around 70% of children affected. Food insecurity has intensified, exacerbated by the strict austerity measures implemented by libertarian President Javier Milei, whose administration has cut billions in spending as part of a “zero deficit” plan to stabilize the economy.

Recent official data revealed that poverty soared to 53% in the first half of the year, up from about 42% at the end of the previous year, with 18% of people living in extreme poverty where household incomes fail to meet basic food necessities.

Silvina Rizo, a mother in a Salta shantytown, shared her struggles, saying, “Sometimes I don’t have enough food to feed my children.” She now cooks with wood, unable to afford gas. Additionally, she expressed concern over flooding during rain as she has nowhere to go due to expensive rent.

The number of Argentines facing moderate to severe food insecurity has nearly doubled to 36% over seven years. A million and a half children miss daily meals and have diminished access to nutritious foods such as meat and vegetables.

Pediatrician Norma Piazza highlighted disturbing cases of scurvy and eye injuries due to Vitamin A deficiency, which had previously not been seen in Argentina. Some children presented neurological issues and convulsions rooted in vitamin deficiencies, indicating a significant drop in meat consumption in a country famed for its beef.

The Milei government, which began operations in December 2023, acknowledged the food emergency and stated that it is responding by enhancing welfare subsidies. However, it also claims that indicators show the worst may be over as poverty seems to have peaked earlier this year. While inflation has slowed, it remains in triple digits.

Milei, who famously campaigned with a chainsaw to advocate for cutting down government size, has retracted funding from some soup kitchens, insisting they are either inefficient or fraudulent. This withdrawal of support has drawn criticism from aid organizations and resulted in the closure or reduction of meals served in many kitchens.

Father Adrian Bennardis from the impoverished Villa Soldati neighborhood stated that government aid ceased entirely in December. He expressed heartbreak over the plight of children in poverty.

Despite some continued support for Milei’s reforms, his approval ratings have started to decline along with community resentment, as many, like Angel Arce, have faced severe hardships and unchecked poverty levels.

In neighborhoods like Villa Soldati, Maria Benitez Osorio noted a rising demand at her soup kitchen coupled with dwindling funding, which has negatively affected the quality of food served. “We are serving more rice and noodles, the cheapest options,” she remarked.

In Villa Fiorito, renowned as Diego Maradona’s birthplace, malnutrition is prevalent, as reported by Cynthia, a mother of two sharing inadequate shelter. She lamented the limited distribution from soup kitchens, receiving food only once a week.

Nutritional experts warned that diets lacking essential nutrients could lead to increased obesity rates in children, already resulting in 10% of Argentine children under five being malnourished. Pediatrician Susana De Grandis flagged the returned scurvy cases as alarming and indicative of a serious public health issue.

“Seeing illnesses linked to vitamin deficiency is exceptional, a marker of a severe situation that hasn’t been observed before,” she stated.