'New poor' up 24.4% in 7 mts - Caritas

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 18 - The number of 'new poor' in Italy has risen by 24.4% to 132,717 between the start of September last year and the end of March this year, due to the COVID crisis, Catholic charity Caritas said Tuesday.
    In all, in the seven months, Caritas said it helped out 544,775 people.
    Women accounted for 53.7% of this total, which was also constituted of Italians to the tune of 57.8%, Caritas said.
    As for the new poor, who had never resorted to charity before, Caritas said 60.4% were Italians and men and women were equally represented.
    The survey covered 190 diocesan Caritas units, or 87.1% of the total in Italy. (ANSA).