Refugee men, women and children flee from some of the world’s worst human rights abuses and experience things that you and I could never imagine. They often arrive in Hong Kong with nothing but the clothes on their back and, barred from working, they have no income of their own to help them survive in this expensive city.

So how do they eat? The Hong Kong Government provides them with pre-packaged bags of food, which they have to pick up every five or ten days from a shop often far from where they live. The food is said to be worth HK$40 per day, supposed to cover three meals per day and last until the next pick up. But, when we price-compare the food they receive with food for sale in supermarkets, we see that the food they get is worth much less. Often it runs out long before the next pick up date; sometimes it is expired; always it is limited in variety and quantity.

We want you to support our petition to ask the Hong Kong Government to allow refugees to eat in dignity by giving refugees small amounts of cash to buy their own food.

Under the current food programme, the Hong Kong Government contracts another organisation to provide the food. They in turn contract third-party food suppliers at a handful of shops around the city, who dispense bags of food to refugees. This system is complicated, expensive and inefficient.

Giving refugees small amounts of cash so they can buy their own food, when and where they need it, would make better use of the resources spent on the current food programme, as well as give refugees back their dignity. The contract for the food programme is currently up for review. Now is the time to call for change. Show the Hong Kong Government that you think the food distribution system should be fairer.

Sadly, there are also many Hong Kongers who do not have enough to eat. This campaign is not to draw attention away from this reality. But surely refugees who have survived so much, who are not allowed to work and who have few family and friends to rely on in Hong Kong, should be afforded at least the basic dignity of being able to choose and buy their own food and feed their families themselves? This is what we want to achieve through this Hungry for Change petition and we need your help to do it. Make your voice heard. Hong Kong’s refugees are counting on you to show your support.