NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.2 million New Yorkers, or every one in six, cannot afford adequate food despite falling jobless rate and a strong economy, according to a survey released Tuesday by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH).

    The survey showed a jump in the number of New Yorkers going to bed hungry. There are long lines outside food pantries on most days. Food recipients said on some days there is just not enough food to go around.

    The study showed that between 2003 and 2005, one in six New Yorkers lived in households that did not have enough food, and the number is going up, said some advocates.

    NYCCAH President Joel Berg said there was an 11 percent rise in people going to pantries and kitchens over the last year according to the coalition's survey of pantries and kitchens around the city.

    Some coalition workers attributed the bigger number of hungry people to the fact that wages are not keeping up with the city's cost of living.

    Berg noted that New York State was the only one state in the entire nation that saw increases in both poverty and income in 2005.

    Advocates also argued that the government's safety net has failed to bridge the gap, adding that the Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program has been cut, resulting in reduced food assistance to New York City.

    The coalition called on lawmakers to provide more funding to the city's 1,200 food pantries and soup kitchens and adjust tax policies to close the gap between the poor and the middle class, noting that the elderly, working families and children are the hardest hit by the shortage.