– It’s unbearable – E24

BUENOS AIRES (E24): In Argentina, food, electricity and gas prices are rising from month to month. In line with rising inflation, poverty also increases.

– Rosana Morengo says we live day by day.

The 27-year-old single mother of a soup kitchen in Moreno, a suburb of Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital. She and several other people come here for a free meal.

Inflation in Argentina is among the highest in the world. On Tuesday of this week, the annual price increase exceeded 100 percent.

This means that money quickly becomes less valuable. From one month to the next, the prices of the same item may have gone up sharply.

For Moringo, this meant, among other things, that rent went from 6,000 pesos to 13,000 pesos in just six months. This corresponds to an increase from around NOK 320 to NOK 690.

– It’s unbearable. Morengo, standing in the shade, poised with lunchbox in hand, says the government isn’t doing enough to tackle inflation.

Around her, young and old await, with buggies, shopping bags or suitcases. They depend on help to get it.

43 percent live in poverty

According to the Observatorio de la Deuda Social of the Universidad Católica, 43 percent of Argentines now live below the poverty line, writes Buenos Aires Times. It is 7 percent higher than it was 6 months ago.

– It’s very complicated. Mad. We must have faith that we will get out of this situation, but only God can help us, Delia Palacio tells E24.

The 70-year-old has lived his whole life amid the specter of inflation, but the past few years have been quite demanding.

She can no longer tolerate more than one meal a day. They depend on volunteer organizations that distribute free food to survive.

The queue outside the soup kitchen is getting longer and longer. Elderly woman standing behind with hat and bicycle. Ophelia Casale has a decent job as a medical assistant, she said, but it’s not enough to feed herself and her family.

– It is impossible to live on the minimum wage in this country, says Casale.

Meat consumption decreased

Mercado Central Market Hall is a half hour drive away. There is an abundance of vegetables, meat and fish here. Singles, couples and families made the trip to shop all week long.

Lucas Santacruz is one of those. He says the market here has much more reasonable prices than in central Buenos Aires, where he lives. Santacruz stands in front of the meat counter and points to the cuts he wants. He treats himself to beef shoulder today, but he ate less meat before.

– In order to counter inflation, we are constantly monitoring prices. It’s tough, and you have to be careful not to overuse anything, he says.

Argentina is one of the most carnivorous countries in the world. Asado, a barbecue where beef takes center stage, is a popular tradition. But due to the trend of rising prices, meat consumption is decreasing — in 2023, a 2 percent decline is expected according to the US Department of Agriculture, the USDA writes. Buenos Aires Times.

Silvana Catizetta, who is at the market to buy vegetables, shook her head. She eats less meat.

Salary increase every two months

Despite the sharp development in prices, the figures show that the Argentine economy grew by 5.2 percent in 2022. With a growth of 10 percent in 2021, this is the first time in more than ten years The country has witnessed two years of continuous economic growth.

– Narda Lepes says that the economy in Argentina does not stand still, it is very active.

She is one of the most famous chefs in Argentina and can often be seen on TV. At her restaurant, Narda Comedor, in Buenos Aires’ upscale Belgrano neighborhood, the place is packed for lunch.

Inequality is higher in Argentina than in most developed economies. The poorest 20 percent of households earn just 4.7 percent of income, according to figures from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Libbes says she sees herself having to raise wages about every two months, and is currently struggling to find enough staff. As for the prices on the menu, Lepes tries to keep the prices fairly stable. She says she’s “surgically” operated on to get it all started. If a type of fish was once very expensive, it becomes an appetizer instead of a main course.

– We try to work with what we have, you say.