Alaska Hunger Crisis Deepens Amid Food Stamp Woes

Thousands of Alaskans have been waiting for months for food stamp benefits, worsening a long-standing hunger crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, inflation, and a typhoon that wiped out stockpiles of fish and fishing equipment. The backlog began last August, and the state's sluggish response has led to lawsuits alleging failures in the administration of the food stamp program. The crisis stems from a perfect storm of cascading events, compounded by staffing and technology issues within the state health department. The backlog of applicants seeking to renew food assistance benefits had reached a high of 9,104 in January.