According to the report, in 2023, the US will have one million more households facing food insecurity than in 2022.

About 6.8 million of the 18 million food-insecure households experienced very low food security, meaning that the diet of one or more household members was disrupted during the year because they could not afford to buy enough food.

Hunger in the United States has been on the rise since 2021 after years of decline. U.S. Census Bureau data last year showed a rise in food insecurity after COVID-19 pandemic food aid programs ended.

In May, the anti-hunger group Feeding America found that hungry Americans are facing a total food shortfall of $33.1 billion, in part due to rising food prices.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Congress must be held accountable for failing to pass an expanded child tax credit this year. "It is unacceptable for anyone to go hungry in America," he said.

“Reducing and eliminating hunger in America won’t happen overnight, but it won’t happen without the policies necessary to make it happen,” Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger, said in a statement.

Anti-hunger groups say expanding federal food aid and the child tax credit would help address the problem.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)