Half of UK Muslim Families Mired in Poverty, Rely on Food Banks to Break Ramadan Fast, Says Charity

Forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have suggested that racing inflation, this April’s net taxes hike, new national insurance contributions and elevated energy price cap – a reflection of the record surges in global gas prices - would put huge pressure on millions of British families.

At least half of the UK’s Muslim households – an estimated 1.6 million - live in such dire poverty that providing food to break the Ramadan fast becomes a struggle, according to Islamic Relief charity.

The number is in stark comparison with the 18 percent of the general UK population struggling with similar deprivation.

There is a significant increase in the use of food banks as compared to the previous two COVID-19 lockdowns across the UK, underscored the charity, citing its partners.

The rising cost of living coupled with fallout from the pandemic have been exacerbating the situation, added the report in Sky News.

Soaring energy bills after record surges in global gas prices have already driven a 54 percent energy price cap rise as of 1 April, have been adding to the burden of costs. People are said to be increasingly relying on local food banks after paying the rent leaves them with next to nothing.

According to recent analysis carried out by energy research specialist Cornwall Insight, the average bill could rise by a further £500 on fallout from the ongoing Russian operation to "demiltarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine. Launched by Moscow after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against continued attacks from Kiev forces, it was slammed as “an invasion” by Washington and its NATO allies, with sanctions applied to Russia, the world’s largest petroleum exporter.

"Families across the UK will be suffering as a result of record rates of inflation as well as increasing energy prices due to the war in Ukraine. We urgently call on the UK government to review this decision and take the bold actions necessary to avoid pushing families into destitution,” Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK, was cited as saying.

"This is especially important as Muslim families begin to observe the holy month of Ramadan. Many will be fasting from sunrise to sunset and there is a real risk that families will not have enough food or will go without to feed their children," Hussain added.

Food banks are anticipating a “big explosion” towards the end of the month. According to Fahim Dahya, logistics manager at Sufra NW10 food bank, all signs were that a “pandemic-level” crisis was looming.

"The bills are not going to hit until the end of this month, so we are bracing ourselves for a big explosion. After the pandemic hit, within a couple of months, we had a 400% increase," Dahya told Sky News.

He described the people who increasingly turned to the food banks as a means of feeding their families as driven by “anxiety and uncertainty."

The report from the Islamic Relief charity comes as soaring price of household essentials has already been severely chipping away at families' spending, with analysis from the Resolution Foundation suggesting households could see incomes falling by 4 percent in 2022-23. Equating to a drop in income of £1,000 per household, this is predicted to be the most dramatic annual income fall since the mid-1970s.

Economists are warning low and middle income families to expect a “living standards rollercoaster” with inflation likely to rise to 8 percent in the coming months.

UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng offered a comment on the increasing cost of living, as he expounded on the rise of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage as of 1 April.

“While no government can control the global factors pushing up the cost of everyday essentials, we will absolutely act wherever we can to mitigate rising costs."

The National Living Wage will rise by 6.6 per cent to £9.50 an hour, but according to the Trades Union Congress, with energy bills forecast to rise at least 14 times faster than wages this year, the minimum wage hike will do little to shield financially vulnerable households.