One in six in Northern Ireland facing hunger

One in six people across Northern Ireland faced hunger last year because of their finances.

The Trussell Trust suggests this could have been anything upwards of 350,000 people skipping meals.

Research from the charity says women, carers, disabled people and ethnic minorities are more likely to face hunger than any other groups.

Jonny Currie from the Trussell Trust says the findings are vital.

"It provides the evidence we need to be able to change the systems, policies and practices so that no one in Northern Ireland has to face hunger."

Six out of 10 people surveyed said they felt embarrassed receiving support from foodbanks.

Louise McKee who runs Help Is At Hand For Those In Need across Belfast has first hand experience of some of the desperate situations people can find themselves in.

"One morning a knock came at the door, it was a girl standing in her pyjamas. She said is there anything you could give me for my kids to have breakfast," said Louise.

"I said yes and she said I have nothing to give them, not even for their break at school."

Louise is worried problems like this will become more common this summer.

"It's getting worse and worse and we know next week kids are off school for the summer holidays and we're going to be inundated," said the volunteer.

At Stormont today charitable and voluntary organisation came together to push for progress on a long awaited anti-poverty strategy for Northern Ireland.

"We've already seen austerity, we've seen welfare reform and we're seeing things getting worse here and that's one of the problems, we haven't had an anti-poverty strategy," said Becca Bore from the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network.

Daniel Holder from the Equality Coalition says a lot of ground work has been done.

"The legal obligation remains outstanding and it would need to be fulfilled very quickly as a day one priority of an incoming executive," he said.

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