London (AFP)

The British government has promised to provide children from underprivileged families hard hit by the fallout from the pandemic with free meals during the Christmas holidays and after, footballer Marcus Rashford, leader of the campaign, announced on Sunday.

In the UK, the poorest children get free meals during school time, but not during holidays.

Faced with the difficult economic fallout from the coronavirus, the Manchester United star called on the government to feed more than a million children free of charge during school holidays.

The 23-year-old says he received a phone call from Boris Johnson on Saturday, just after his club's 3-1 Premier League victory over Everton, in which the British Prime Minister told him the government would finally release funds.

"I had a good conversation with the Prime Minister to better understand the plan he proposed, and I welcome these measures which have been taken to fight against child food poverty," said the footballer in a statement.

Marcus Rashford had already made the government back down by forcing it to extend this free meal program during the summer, put in place during the confinement and closure of schools.

- Until Christmas 2021 -

Boris Johnson's decision comes as a new about-face in this affair, after the government refused in October to extend these free meals during the All Saints holidays.

But Marcus Rashford's campaign struck a chord with many Britons, especially in the run-up to Christmas, and the government has regularly found itself accused in the newspapers of being heartless.

The footballer from the north of England, where he too grew up in poverty, said he was "very proud" of those who had supported his campaign, promising to "fight for the rest of (his) life" in order to prevent little Britons from going hungry.

Labor and Pensions Minister Therese Coffey has announced that an additional 170 million pounds (188 million euros) will be made available to finance the program during the Christmas period 2020, but also during the Easter, summer and summer holidays. Christmas 2021.

"We want to make sure that vulnerable people feel taken care of throughout this difficult time," she said, "and most importantly, that no one goes hungry or unable to pay their bills. this winter".

© 2020 AFP