The Paris 365 Solidarity Food Store and Dining Room in Pamplona today presented a report with data from 2022. Taking advantage of the press conference, spokespersons for Josean Villanueva Oyarzábal, Oihana Barrios Salinas and Myriam Gómez-García have also analysed the causes behind the “increase in poverty” of the last two years. According to the data they released, food was guaranteed to 672 people last year and 586 this year. It is therefore expected that by the end of the year some 650 will be reached.

However, they clarify that the most significant data on the current situation is that since the pandemic meals served in the dining room have increased by 43%, while the number of people served has decreased by 35%. Why? Because it is now harder to overcome the poverty line, so users are getting the help of Paris 365 longer. That is why in the NGO there are more and more users at once, but increasingly with fewer resources.

“The indicators of poverty in Navarre show us a self-satisfying picture, but the one living in poverty in Navarre is as poor as in other communities,” explains Villanueva. “In studying the causes we cannot ignore external factors such as coronavirus, the Ukrainian war or migratory flows. Neither can we forget the laws of Foreign or Housing, nor the inability of people in situations of exclusion to access public resources. The solution lies in the political will,” the president criticized.

Despite all the difficulties, in 2022 Paris 365 has been able to meet the basic food and clothing needs of the “majority of people” who came for help. They have therefore thanked the volunteers, employees, users, donors and partners in the broadcast note.

However, they have recalled that Paris 365 “was born with the aim of disappearing” and that “outside the dining room and the solidarity warehouse, this destiny of social justice has moved further away in 2023”. Above all, it is clear that the rights of young immigrants are being violated. “Paris 365 and other social groups have been denouncing that public policies are often made from the logic of the effect of attraction and not from the logic of the effect of welcome. Unfortunately, today our resources are unable to meet the demand of all people abandoned by the public system.”

Call to society

In fact, the monetary fund of the foundation has also noticed the crisis and since 2020 donations have decreased by 45%. “In the current situation, further funding is needed to carry out the Paris 365 project economically independent,” said Villanueva. Very simply, on the web www.paris365.org it is possible to make a timely donation or register as a partner. The frequency and amount of the quota is free.