Millions of Australian households face severe food shortages, research says

Millions of Australian households are facing severe food shortages, according to a report.

According to a report released by Food Bank Australia on Tuesday, 3.4 million households across Australia faced food shortages in the past year, Xinhua reported. Of these, 2 million households have severe food shortages.

The report found that 97 percent of households with severe food shortages choose to skip meals or reduce the amount they eat, while more than 80 percent cite the rising cost of living as a factor.

Among households experiencing severe food shortages, 97 percent were worried about running out of food before they had enough money to buy it, and 93 percent were unable to afford a balanced meal.

Only a quarter of food-strapped households received support from friends and family, down from a third last year.

"For families with severe food shortages, not only are they having to cut back on spending, they are going without food at all, sometimes for days at a time," Food Bank Australia chief Executive Peter Casey said.

"This is no longer a temporary crisis, but a long-term systemic issue affecting millions of Australians," she said. These families live with the daily anxiety of not knowing where their next meal is coming from, and are forced to choose between necessities like food, housing, and water and electricity."