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  • 4 October, 2008. Items on sale in an Ann Taylor-LOFT store on 34th street (between Broadway and Fifth ave). As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_008.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. T-shirts on sale in an Ann Taylor-LOFT store on 34th street (between Broadway and Fifth ave). As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_007.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  A customer exits a Banana Republic store on 34th street and Fifth ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_006.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign in the window of the Ann Taylor-LOFT store in Times Square.  As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_023.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Mother and daughter wait in front of the Gap store on 34th street (Herald Square). As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_022.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A customer enters the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_018.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customer check items on sale in the Gap store of 42nd street and 3rd ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_017.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign in the window of the Ann Taylor-LOFT store of 42nd street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_015.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A customer check items on sale in the Old Navy store of 34th street (between Broadway and 7th ave). As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_005.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign in the window of the Ann Taylor of 21st street and 5th ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_001.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  Items on sale at the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexingon ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_004.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  A customer check items on sale at the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_002.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  A customer exits the Banana Republic Store located at the Grand Central Terminal. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_001.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers are here in the women's department of the Gap store in Herald Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_021.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Lighting on sale in the Restoration Hardware store on 22nd street and Broadway. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_020.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_019.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers go up the stairs of the Gap store of Times Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_016.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers enter the gap store of 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_014.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers exit the Gap store in Herald Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_013.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Sale signs in the Gap store of Herald Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_010.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A customer checks items on sale in the Banana Republic store of 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_009.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers check items on sale in the women's department of the Gap store in Times Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_008.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers check items on sale in the Ann Taylor-LOFT store in Times Square. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_004.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign in the window of the Banana Republic store of Grand Central Terminal. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_003.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign in the window of the Ann Taylor of 21st street and 5th ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_002.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A customer checks items on sale in the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_007.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A sale sign and dummies are here in the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_006.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  A sale sign is here at the entrance of the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexington ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_005.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008.  Items on sale at the Bloomingdale's department store on 59th street and Lexingon ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_OUT_003.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. Customers enter the Restoration Hardware store on 22nd street and Broadway. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_012.jpg
  • 4 October, 2008. A customer exits the Banana Republic store of 34th street and 5th ave. As the financial crisis spread last month, many retailers hit the panic button, offering more generous discounts than they did at the same time last year. But the promotions did little to convince cautious shoppers to open their wallets.<br />
<br />
©2008 Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
cell. +1 646 465 2168 (USA)<br />
cell. +1 328 567 7923 (Italy)<br />
gianni@giannicipriano.com<br />
www.giannicipriano.com
    Discount_011.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306257.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306265.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait in his car in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306216.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306065.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) prepare hot meals for homeless people in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305893.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52),  volunteer a volunteer and parking attendant out of work relying on the food handouts from of the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), carries the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305809.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) unload the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305759.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) unload the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305739.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306265.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait in his car in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306234.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait in his car in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306216.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306039.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52),  volunteer a volunteer and parking attendant out of work relying on the food handouts from of the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), carries the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305809.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) unload the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305759.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait in his car in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306234.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A homeless man's bed is seen here in in a gym in a tensile structure converted to a shelter for the homeless, in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Homeless men here rely on food handouts donated by the charity L'Abbraccio (Italian for The Hug). L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306108.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A homeless man takes a meal donated by the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) here in in a gym in a tensile structure converted to a shelter for the homeless, in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306103.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306039.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A volunteer of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) prepares hot meals for homeless people in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305649.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Matteo Marzana, head of the the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306257.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A homeless man's bed is seen here in in a gym in a tensile structure converted to a shelter for the homeless, in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Homeless men here rely on food handouts donated by the charity L'Abbraccio (Italian for The Hug). L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306108.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A homeless man takes a meal donated by the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) here in in a gym in a tensile structure converted to a shelter for the homeless, in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306103.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306065.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306043.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) prepare hot meals for homeless people in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305893.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A volunteer of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) prepares hot meals for homeless people in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305649.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Antonella Maresca, a 54 years old part-time cleaning lady and care giver now relying on food handouts from the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug), poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306043.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Volunteers of the charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) unload the food donated by the food bank at the headquarters of the charity in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305739.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker fills a box with food that will be distibuted to a needy family, here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly p
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305493.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Roberto Tuorto, who runs the operations of Banco Alimentare -   Italy’s largest food bank - in the Campania region, walks by pallets of food in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305620.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Pallets of food that will be donated to needy families is seen here in the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged int
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305644.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Pallets of bean cans are seen here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lif
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305559.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker fills a box with food that will be distibuted to a needy family, here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly p
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305512.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker lifts cases of bean cans at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305377.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker lifts cases of bean cans at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305366.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Pallets of food that will be donated to needy families is seen here in the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged int
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305644.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Pallets of bean cans are seen here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lif
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305559.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker fills a box with food that will be distibuted to a needy family, here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly p
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305512.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker lifts cases of bean cans at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305377.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Roberto Tuorto, who runs the operations of Banco Alimentare -   Italy’s largest food bank - in the Campania region, walks by pallets of food in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305605.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker fills a box with food that will be distibuted to a needy family, here at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly p
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305493.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Roberto Tuorto, who runs the operations of Banco Alimentare -   Italy’s largest food bank - in the Campania region, walks by pallets of food in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305620.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020:  Roberto Tuorto, who runs the operations of Banco Alimentare -   Italy’s largest food bank - in the Campania region, walks by pallets of food in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305605.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: A worker lifts cases of bean cans at the Banco Alimentare, a food bank in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Banco Alimentare distributed food to around 1.5 million people, a number that has gone up by roughly 40% in just over two month. The food bank can’t keep up with the new requests, particularly in Italy’s traditionally poorer southern regions such as Campania, of which Naples is the capital. The food, a mix of donations and purchases made with EU funds, is distributed through local charities that prepare shopping baskets and ready-to-eat meals for those in need.  <br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305366.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306181.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306205.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305987.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306181.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito, (52) a volunteer and parking attendant out of work relying on the food handouts from of the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) ,smokes a cigarette after unloading the food donated by the food bank to the charity  in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundr
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305956.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306185.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306000.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito, (52) a volunteer and parking attendant out of work relying on the food handouts from of the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) ,smokes a cigarette after unloading the food donated by the food bank to the charity  in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundr
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M305956.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306205.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306185.jpg
  • SALERNO, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Carmine Esposito (52), a parking attendant out of work and relying on the food handouts from the  charity "L'Abbraccio" (Italian for The Hug) , poses for a portrait at the charity headquarters in Salerno, Italy, on May 11th 2020. <br />
<br />
Carmine Esposito worked as a parking attendant in central Salerno. Many of his clients were foreign tourists, who used to stop in Salerno before driving to the nearby Amalfi Coast. He hasn’t made any money in more than two months and is now struggling to pay his €600 monthly rent. He relies on food handouts from L’Abbraccio. Although he worked full time, he was on a part time contract, a way for his employers to skimp on social-security payments. As a result, when his furlough benefits eventually come through, he expects to receive €500, far less than the €1,300 a month he used to make. “It is a serious problem. I need the money immediately,” said Mr. Esposito, who regularly sends money to his 25- year-old son, a college student. He is looking for new jobs, but the prospects are slim. “It was a struggle before. Just imagine what it’s like now,” he said.<br />
<br />
L'Abbraccio is  a charity which has focused on assisting the newly poor since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />
<br />
In less than two months, the number of families who have turned to L’Abbraccio to feed themselves has jumped from 160 families to over 500.<br />
<br />
“They are not people who live in extreme poverty, but people who have found themselves poor because of the economic crisis,” says the heady of the charity Matteo Marzana.  They include swathes of the population employed off the books and thus largely excluded from the state’s welfare safety net.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for t
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306000.jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: The occupied building where Marilena Colantuono (37), unemployed and mother of three, lives, in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307462_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: A view from an occupied building in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of  Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307414_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Marilena Colantuono (37), an unemployed mother of three children, poses for a portrait in her occupied apartment in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307273_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Marilena Colantuono (37), an unemployed mother of three children, poses for a portrait in her occupied apartment in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307226_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Marilena Colantuono (37), an unemployed mother of three children, poses for a portrait in her occupied apartment in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307213_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Giorgio Colantuono (15), attends his online school class from his mother's smartphone in his room, which he shares with his younger sister and brother, in an occupied apartment in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307169_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Giorgio Colantuono (15), attends his online school class from his mother's smartphone in his room, which he shares with his younger sister and brother, in an occupied apartment in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307151_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: A view of the school "Euduardo De Filippo" in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of  Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306937_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: Patrizia Pica Ciamarra (46), who runs the local section of the NGO L'Albero della vita in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, poses for a portrait in Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306894_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: A public housing complex is seen here in Ponticelli, a district in the outskirts of Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306829_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 11 MAY 2020: Giulia Improta (34), a mother of three, poses for a portrait in her apartment in Naples, Italy, on May 11th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200511_WSJ_NewPoor_7M306350_B...jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 13 MAY 2020: Matteo Garofalo (43), a stage manager, poses for a portrait at the Teatro Augusteo theater in Naples, Italy, on May 13th 2020.<br />
<br />
Matteo Garofalo has had a successful career as a stage manager, most recently touring Italy with a musical adaptation of the film “The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” about a drag queen on a road trip.<br />
But since theatres won’t be able to host packed audiences any time soon, Mr. Garofalo is already looking for alternatives: He has applied fruit and vegetable harvesting jobs.<br />
“I have enough savings for several months, but no job prospects,” said Mr. Garofalo, 44. “I’m always hopeful the situation will change. But I need to do something. Cash is what makes the world go round. If not they will cut my electricity and I won’t have anything to eat.”<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200513_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307587.jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 13 MAY 2020: Matteo Garofalo (43), a stage manager, poses for a portrait at the Teatro Augusteo theater in Naples, Italy, on May 13th 2020.<br />
<br />
Matteo Garofalo has had a successful career as a stage manager, most recently touring Italy with a musical adaptation of the film “The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” about a drag queen on a road trip.<br />
But since theatres won’t be able to host packed audiences any time soon, Mr. Garofalo is already looking for alternatives: He has applied fruit and vegetable harvesting jobs.<br />
“I have enough savings for several months, but no job prospects,” said Mr. Garofalo, 44. “I’m always hopeful the situation will change. But I need to do something. Cash is what makes the world go round. If not they will cut my electricity and I won’t have anything to eat.”<br />
<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200513_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307537.jpg
  • NAPLES, ITALY - 12 MAY 2020: A view of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in Naples, Italy, on May 12th 2020.<br />
<br />
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to suffer as much as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.<br />
The health emergency has already left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time. Experts warn that the poverty crisis is only just beginning, and that many of those who abruptly plunged into poverty may never be able to lift themselves out of it – even once the pandemic is over. Italy, more than its Western European neighbors, is ill-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Its big problem is that its economy never really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, leaving families poorer and the government much more indebted today than it was then.<br />
<br />
CREDIT: Gianni Cipriano for The Wall Street Journal<br />
<br />
SLUG: ITPOOR
    CIPG_20200512_WSJ_NewPoor_7M307482.jpg
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